372 
THE "GARDENING WORLD. 
February 9, 1889. 
sT^idi/i^i/tEl 
Dahlias. 
How are Dahlia roots keeping this year ? There 
seemed to be a general opinion in the autumn that 
owing to the wet character of the summer Dahlias were 
scarcely likely to keep well, and that rot would 
probably set in and do many of them some damage. 
The danger is of the roots becoming injured by damp. 
Those who are endeavouring to keep Dahlia roots 
should look over them frequently, and give them all 
the air possible. It is those who propagate Dahlias 
largely that have the most cause to be anxious about 
their roots, for if rot sets in (and it is too often seen 
just at the vital points—that is, where the young 
growths are likely to be put up when the roots are 
placed in heat) the chances of stock are small. There¬ 
fore, a sharp look-out should be kept for any appear¬ 
ance of moisture about the roots, that is, a tendency to 
rot—the affected parts should be cut away with a sharp 
knife, the severed portions dusted over with powdered 
charcoal and exposed to a dry warm atmosphere for a 
few days. The roots of some varieties always keep badly 
and they require to be more closely looked after. This 
defect can be easily detected by the tendency to become 
damp, while those around them may be perfectly dry. 
The time for propagating Dahlias is at hand. 
Nurserymen who do it on a large scale commence 
early in the year, because it is necessary they should 
have a big stock—sometimes 250 or 300 plants of a 
variety, such as Constance, George Rawlings, Gold finder, 
Imperial, J. B. Service, Mrs. Gladstone, Mrs. Harris, 
and some others that appear in every order. The task 
of obtaining so large a stock is a heavy one, and 
necessitates close attention to the work. 
A lean-to house is generally employed for the 
purpose ; a bed is made over a chamber along which 
runs some hot-water pipes, the roots, after undergoing 
a close examination, being placed upon the bed, and 
partly covered with soil. Very soon shoots are put 
forth from round the base of what was the stem the 
previous season, and when they are 3 ins. or 4 ins. 
long they are taken off, placed several in a pot, and 
plunged in a brisk bottom-heat—generally in a dung- 
frame. The first cuttings are generally soft and sappy, 
and these are rejected ; those which follow are harder, 
and better adapted for cuttings, and the work com¬ 
mences in earnest. Care is necessary in taking off the 
cuttings. If they are severed too low down, the chance 
of obtaining others is greatly reduced. The early ones 
take three weeks or even more to root; but as the 
season advances, the days lengthen, and there is more 
solar heat and light, the process is much quicker. 
Anyone who grows a few Dahlias only can soon 
obtain a fine stock from last year’s roots by placing 
them in a Cucumber frame, or any place where there is 
a little bottom heat, and so obtain cuttings in the 
manner just stated. The cuttings can be put into pots 
of fine soil and plunged in the frame, when no difficulty 
will be experienced in getting them to root; but propa¬ 
gation in such a small way need not commence until 
March, when the days have lengthened and the 
quickening influences of the solar heat have been ex¬ 
perienced. Potting off and gradual hardening are 
matters that do not cause a great deal of trouble ; 
what has to be guarded against is having the rooted 
cuttings drawn, long, and lanky. The rule should be 
to have them dwarf and stocky, and then good and 
useful plants may be expected to result. — B. D. 
Pentstemons, 
It must be very gratifying to the lovers of this easily- 
grown and highly-decorative plant to hear that great 
strides have taken place in its improvement during the 
last few years, both in the form and texture of the 
flowers, and the compactness of the spikes. The Pent- 
stemon is, however, a plant which still deserves more 
attention than it receives, and only those who have 
first-class sorts can appreciate their true value, either 
for competition, cutting, or massing for border deco¬ 
ration, where their fine bright colours and handsome 
spikes give a very effective appearance. Being easy of 
cultivation, of fine habit, and blooming abundantly 
from June to October, very few plants can rival them. 
Grand collections were shown at the International Exhi¬ 
bition held in Glasgow in September last, where the 
very finest varieties in commerce were brought together. 
The first prize for twelve spikes was won by a young 
amateur in Bridge of “Weir (Mr. James Erskine, farmer, 
whose stock plants I secured), who gained a creditable 
victory over that never-before-beaten veteran Pent- 
stemon grower, Mr. Gavin Greenshields, of Biggar. 
Mr. Erskine, who has made the Pentstemon his 
hobby during the last six years, and has been very suc¬ 
cessful in competing at many shows about the country, 
has given me a list of what he considers the best 
twenty-four varieties, and which I here give for the 
benefit of your readers :— 
A. Anderson 
Alphonse Daudet 
Andrew Sinclair 
Captivation 
Claude Gellee 
Emile Paladhilhe 
Gil Bias 
Henry Cannell 
James Porter 
James Thomson 
Mauve Queen 
Mre. Duncan 
Mrs. Marshall 
Mrs. Paul 
Mrs. S. Walker 
Model 
Monument 
Olivier Pain 
Osgood McKenzie 
Onesime Reclus 
Seulpteur Clesinger 
Tartarin 
W. Reid 
Wm. Storrie. 
— J. G. Paul, Bridge of TVeir, N.B. 
Show Carnations Without Perfume. 
In looking over Mr. E. S. Dodwell’s list of “ yellow 
grounds ” for this year at p. 356, he there calls attention 
to some varieties of Malmaison habit and large size. 
How often has it been remarked to me, when showing 
these fine flowers, that they have no fragrance ; and 
this suggests that while not neglecting the fine show 
varieties in their glowing colours but small size, should 
not our attention be drawn to the Malmaison variety, 
which not only has fragrance, but size l To get a race 
of this variety, with the charming colours of the show 
sorts, would be something to work for and look forward 
to. I find with my small experience that fragrance, 
size, bright colours and highly refined flowers are much 
esteemed. 
As one of those who had not the pleasure of seeing 
the Kilmurry Seedlings and the new yellow grounds of 
our esteemed champion, Mr. E. S. Dodwell, I am 
looking forward with much interest to their flowering. 
Has any fellow-reader found it an easy matter to save 
seed from the Malmaison Carnation ? To cross the 
show sorts with Malmaison, and so get large flowers 
with bright colours, combined with fragrance, should 
be our next work. It seems to myself and many 
others almost a disappointment to pluck a Rose or 
Carnation and find it wanting in perfume.— Thomas 
Badcock, 81, London Load, St. Leonards. 
-- 
SEEDLING- BEGONIAS v. TUBERS 
FOR BEDDING OUT. 
Like “Somersetshire Rector” (p. 356), we annually 
bed out hundreds of Tuberous Begonias, indeed, they 
play no mean part in the summer display of a large 
flower garden, and we have amply proved that a very 
good display may be had from seedlings the first year, 
provided they are forced on at express speed in the 
early stages from the seed pan. So far, our experiences 
coincide ; but that seedlings “ should be considerably 
in advance of tubers in general merit,” is contrary to 
our several years’ experience and observation of their 
use and value as beddiBg plants. “Somersetshire 
Rector” may, however, be more favourably situated as 
regards position and soil, and if seedlings could be 
absolutely depended upon to give the same results in 
all places alike, and under all circumstances and 
conditions, then a point in favour of the use of 
seedlings the first year would be gained, and a saving 
of time and labour effected. 
Unfortunately seedlings are not to be depended upon 
under all circumstances. "We annually raise a few 
hundreds of seedlings, but have given up the practice 
of using them in our bedding arrangements the first 
year, and particularly for one reason among others, 
that they are not to be trusted to be of an uniform 
colour, and this is of some consideration when you 
want to plant beds of decided tints. No matter how 
careful you are to isolate your seed plants to prevent 
cross-fertilisation, what should be scarlets 'will give a 
large percentage of several shades from that colour 
down to a light salmon. So with the whites ; a large 
percentage will be suffused with pink, a light pink, and 
some a sulphur colour. Again, a goodly number will be 
inferior to the type in size and substance of bloom, and 
not worth keeping. If you want erect blooms, a 
portion will be found with drooping flowers, &c. We 
have generally found that floriferousness, with size and 
substance of bloom, increases with the age of the tuber 
up to the third year, when it appears to have reached 
its maximum of perfection. 
When we have used seedlings the first year in our 
bedding out we have mostly found that it required 
three times the number of plants to cover a given space 
than when one, two oi three years’ tubers are utilised, 
and that the latter gave by far the finest display, both 
in quantity and size of bloom. Those who are not 
particular about having the beds in mixed colours— 
and mixed colours are always beautiful—and provided 
they have the convenience for getting the plants 
forward, may depend upon having a fairly good 
display the first year from seedlings ; but to those who 
want to plant beds of separate colours, and who have 
not the necessary heat for pushing the plants forward, 
I say do not depend on seedlings, for if you do, you are 
doomed to disappointment. 
“Somersetshire Rector” gives excellent advice about 
pots not being needed for tuberous Begonias which 
are intended for bedding out. The plants do much 
better if pricked out into boxes, and then planted out 
in cold frames after being carefully hardened. The 
sooner artificial heat can be dispensed with the better 
the plants will prosper. A good time for sowing the 
seed to have tubers to plant out the following year, is 
the first week in March. This is the date we choose, 
and we use pans for the purpose. The pans are filled 
with crocks to one-third their depth, then filled up with 
one third of leaf-soil, and over this a light covering 
of very fine sandy soil, the whole pressed down to a 
smooth surface ; the pans are then watered through a 
fine rose, and the seed scattered thinly over the surface. 
A piece of brown paper is tied over the top of each 
pan, and the pans are placed in a frame on a gentle 
hot-bed. The brown paper is always kept moist, which 
helps to keep the soil in the pans in one uniform state 
of moisture. As soon as the seedlings appear, the paper 
is removed from the pans and a square of glass 
substituted. 
Great care and watchfulness is needed at this stage 
of existence of the seedlings, as the least over-moisture 
will damp them, or over-dryness will shrivel them. 
Should the soil become dry on the surface the pans 
must be steeped in a pail, not watered on the surface, 
otherwise the very small plants would be washed out of 
the soil, or be the cause of their damping off. As soon 
as the seedlings can be handled we prick them out into 
boxes and return them to the frame, and when they 
have grown to a sufficient size they are carefully 
hardened and finally planted out, either in nursery 
beds in a warm and shaded position in the garden or 
into cold frames. In these positions they are en¬ 
couraged to make all the growth possible, as regards 
attention, watering, kc. They begin to flower mostly 
in August, and before September is out we have 
carefully marked all that are worth keeping, and 
weeded out the worthless ones. By this method of 
trial and probation of the seedling plants, we are 
enabled not only to have good tubers, but to have 
them with the best-shaped flowers and sorted into the 
several separate and decided colours we require. 
If you have a stock of tubers on hand, and sufficient 
for your requirements, there is no necessity to start 
them in artificial heat—indeed, they are better if they 
never feel it for bedding out. "We start all ours in cold 
frames the first week in April, preparing a compose of 
light turfy loam and one-half of spent Mushroom bed 
well mixed. This compost is put in the frames to the 
depth of 3 ins., the tubers are then run out in rows on 
the top of it, and covered with a mixture of coco-nut 
fibre and leaf-soil. The lights are kept close till the 
tubers begin to spear through the light covering. 
Should cold weather occur, the frames are covered with 
mats to keep the cold out. By the middle of June the 
plants are ready to transfer to their summer quarters in 
the flower garden. Strong sturdy plants, with a regular 
mop of roots, scarcely ever feel this shift. The beds 
cannot be made too rich for Begonias. We find no 
better rooting medium for them than spent Mushroom 
bed, and we use it unsparingly. An excellent mulch 
for them after they are planted is the coco-nut fibre, as 
recommended by “Somersetshire Rector.”— J. Kipling, 
Knebivorth Gardens. 
--— 
CHRYSANTHEMUM NOTES. 
Classes for Small-flowered Varieties. 
When I made the suggestion in a contemporary that a 
special class should be provided for the “ Bundles,” as 
alluded to by “Southdown” at p. 352, it was in 
consequence of remarks made by persons whom I knew 
were anxious that this type of the incurved section 
should not be wholly discarded now that the rage for big 
blooms is on the increase. I was at that time trying 
to find a lasting home for varieties which I should not 
be wrong in saying all Chrysanthemum lovers admire. 
But there is no reason why the list of varieties should 
not be extended, if desired, as far as practicable. If tho 
framers of schedules in arranging for a class of this 
kind were to stipulate exactly what varieties should be 
