December 5 , 1891. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
217 
rather disappointing here. Last season its 
flower was poor, wanting in both size and substance, 
but we withheld our opinion, thinking, as the plant 
wasonlysemi-established.it would improve. This 
year strong growths came away and finer bulbs were 
finished, larger even than the native ones and equally 
stout flower spikes in proportion. But the flowers 
have not improved proportionately ; they are as poor 
as ever. I shall be glad to hear what other growers 
have to say about it. To my mind a good L. albida 
is the better of the two. It is a very free grower 
with us, better even than the type, and it will be a 
pity if it lags behind it in the quality of its flowers.— 
Jas. Brown, Arddaroch, N.B. 
SEASONABLE WORK n the GARDEN. 
Ardisias. —There are now several species of 
Ardisia in cultivation, but probably none of them 
excel A. crenulata in general usefulness. The plants 
now in fruit should be looked over to see that they 
are not infested with scale, which often multiplies 
very rapidly upon them, greatly disfiguring them. A. 
mamillata is an attractive and distinct looking species 
for the stove, but is more difficult to keep clean than 
A. crenulata if once allowed to become infested with 
mealy bug. The greenhouse is the best place for A. 
japonica as it is hardier than the others, and keeps 
its crimson berries till well into the spring. In order 
to get a batch of young plants a quantity of berries 
should be sown now, as it is the best method of 
raising them. 
Gardenias.— To get an early batch of young 
plants cuttings should be taken now and rooted in 
strong heat ; they will be ready to start away into 
vigorous growth in the spring when potted on. Old 
plants may be put into heat as required to furnish 
cut blooms. Those having the most prominent and 
advanced buds should be taken first. 
Flowers for Christmas— The requirements 
about the 25th inst. will have to be borne in mind 
and provided for. A batch of crowns of Lily of the 
Valley should be put into heat at once as they require 
longer time to develop at this season than later in the 
year. Roman Hyacinths and early-flowering Tulips 
should be introduced in batches as they show signs 
of having developed roots and commenced to push 
their crowns. Paper White Narcissus, and some of 
the earlier of the large-flowering Hyacinths will 
prove very serviceable at that time. Bouvardias, 
Cyclamens, Chinese Primulas, and Tree Carnations 
should be kept in a temperature of 50°, with a rise 
by day,, and they will furnish a lot of bloom pro¬ 
vided the light remains moderately good. In rural 
districts removed from smoky towns there is as a rule 
little difficulty in this matter. 
Azaleas. —The old A. indica alba and the variety 
Narcissiflora require no forcing to bring them into 
bloom, although a rise of temperature would cause 
them to come on more quickly if so required. 
Deutsche Perle also shows that it is an early flower¬ 
ing sort, and may be treated much in the same way 
as the above. If other kinds are wanted those with 
the most prominent buds should be selected for 
placing in heat. 
Cinerarias. —Plants still in cold frames or pits 
cannot be left much longer with safety, as hard 
frosts may at any time be experienced, and ruin the 
plants in a single night. The foliage is so suscepti¬ 
ble of injury from frost That the leaves get curled up 
at the edges and do not recover as Chinese Primulas 
do. When taking them into a warmer place, stand 
them on a bench covered with ashes if possible, so 
that the foliage may benefit by the moisture arising 
therefrom. 
Early Vinery. —Where the house was closed for 
forcing on the 1st November, the buds will now be 
swelling, and the temperature at night should there¬ 
fore be kept up to 55 0 with a rise of 10" by day ; and 
as the buds get into full growth the night tempera¬ 
ture may be raised to 60 3 except on cold, windy or 
frosty nights. Increase the temperature early in the 
day so as to take full advantage of the light, and ven¬ 
tilate when the heat rises to 65®. Syringe the rods 
several times during the early part of the day until 
they are fairly into growth. 
Pruning Hardy Fruit Trees.— Every opportu¬ 
nity should now be embraced to forward the work 
of pruning of all kinds of fruit trees, while the 
weather is open. In the case of pyramidally trained 
Pear trees and also those on walls it will be advan¬ 
tageous to thin out the spurs that have become 
crowded on old trees, otherwise they cannot attain 
sufficient vigour to bear fruit. Crowding also pre¬ 
vents the free access of air and light during the 
summer time, both to foliage and fruit, and the crop 
of the latter especially must be unsatisfactory under 
these conditions. Plum trees on walls also require a 
thinning out of the old spurs, especially those that 
reach away some distance from the wall. 
Bedding Plants. —Hitherto we have had no 
severe weather, so that the temperature of the 
houses in which the bedding plants are located is 
easily kept up. The points to be attended to are pro¬ 
per watering, heating and ventilation. While as 
little heat as possible should be given consistent 
with the health of the plants, it will be as well to re¬ 
member that late struck and imperfectly rooted 
subjects should be placed at the warmer ends of the 
house. 
Protecting Tender Plants.— A covering ofashes 
or Cocoa-nut fibre placed over such things as Lilium 
auratum, L. speciosum, Cape Bulbs, and other 
deciduous subjects will do much towards keeping 
them dry, and from the effects of severe frost should 
it occur. Tender Roses should have a mulching of 
manure over the roots and round the collar of the 
stem. The crowns of Gunnera scabra might be 
covered with dry fern litter. 
Spring Bedding. — Take advantage of dry 
weather for filling the flower beds with Narcissi, 
Tulips, Hyacinths, Crocuses; also plants of Arabis, 
Wallflowers, Polyanthus, Daisies, Myosotis, Silene, 
and similar subjects intended for making a display 
in the spring months. The object should be to get 
it done when the soil is tolerably dry and not liable 
to get puddled in the operation. 
Collecting Leaves.— Now that the bulk of trees 
are quite leafless, the operation of collecting the 
leaves should be gone about energetically so as to 
get the place into a tolerably respectable condition 
for the winter. Lawns in the more immediate 
vicinity of the house should be swept after raking in 
order to clear them of pieces of wood, fruits, "and 
other objects which the wooden rakes failed to col¬ 
lect. All wood and stones should be picked out as 
well as can be done from the leaves that are to be 
used for fermenting purposes. 
-«*- 
Questions add ansuieRS. 
Names of Plants.— Young Grower: 1, 2 and 3, 
garden varieties of Fuchsias, which we cannot 
undertake to name ; 4, Chrysanthemum Elaine 
(section Japanese reflexed) ; 5, A Pompon Chrysan¬ 
themum we do not recognise; 6, Polygala Dalmaisiana. 
Chrysanthemum Elaine is a useful variety for grow¬ 
ing as trained specimens, or in the bush form for 
cut flowers. The Pompon variety is a good dark 
one, and should be disbudded if you want large 
flowers.— Rose : 1, Marrubium vulgare ; 2, Origanum 
vulgare ; 3, Thymus Serpyllum vulgaris, but often 
called T. Citriodorus; 4, Blechnum occidental ; 5, 
Nephrodium Filix-mas, usually called Lastrea Fi'lix- 
mas; 6, Celsia arcturus; 7, Pteris cretica albo- 
lineata ; 8, Pteris tremula ; 9, Nephrodium molle ; 
10, Bignonia sp. (please send when in flower); 11] 
Begonia maculata ; 12, Selaginella Martensii var.— 
J. K .: 1, Miltonia Clowesii; 2, Phyllanthus 
speciosus. 
List of Twenty-four Chrysanthemums new 
and old .—Louis Morhardt : The undermentioned are 
twenty-four of the leading Japanese Chrysanthemums 
at the present time, that is, those which have taken 
a prominent position at the leading shows in Britain, 
during the exhibition season which is now mostly 
over. We do not give them exactly in their order of 
merit, but the more important are kept to the front 
rank, and include Viviand Morel, Etoile de Lyon, 
Stanstead White, Avalanche, Lillian E. Bird, W. H.' 
Lincoln, E. Molyneux, Sunflower, Mons. Bernard, 
Sarah Owen, Mrs. F. Jameson, Madame J. Laing,’ 
Meg Merrilies, Ralph Brocklebank, Mrs. C. h! 
Wheeler, Boule d’Or, Stanstead Surprise, Gloriosum, 
Florence Percy, Mrs. F. Thompson, Mrs. H. Cannell, 
Loui? Boehmer, Mrs. Irvine Clarke, Mademoiselle 
Lacroix. 
Herbaceous Plants for July.— J . B. ; The 
following we think would suit your heavy soil very 
well, namely:—Helianthus rigidus aestivus (better 
known as H. japonicus), Phloxes hybrids of the P. 
paniculata, P. acuminata, and P. decussata type, 
Aconitum Napellus, or A. N. variegatum, ^Enothera 
fruticosa, Campanula latifolia macrantha, C. Van 
Houttei,. C. lactiflora ccerulea, Centaurea montana, 
Delphinium elatum, garden varieties, Eryngium 
alpinum, Galega officinalis, and its white variety, 
Geranium pratense, G. armenum, Lupinus poly- 
phyllus, Irisgermanica, and its varieties, Polemonium 
Richardsoni, Scabiosa caucasica, Statice latifolia, 
and Veronica longifolia subsessilis. The list might 
be greatly augmented by introducing dwarfer plants, 
which in the front row and other suitable situations 
could not fail to be appreciated. A useful book on 
herbaceous plants is that named Hardy Herbaceous 
and Alpine Plants, by Sutherland, and published bv 
Blackwood & Sons, London and Edinburgh. A 
cheaper work is Hardy Herbaceous Plants, by William 
Robinson, and sold at The Garden office, 27 South¬ 
ampton Street, W.C. ' 
Paulownia.— W. J. ; Any nurseryman who grows 
ornamental trees and shrubs should be able to supply 
Tr I y° ur fellow townsmen, Messrs. Keynes, 
Williams & Co. 3 
... , — t, vvaison. 11 
the soil is of a stiff, retentive nature, and the subsoil 
clay, we should allow the worms to perform their 
natural functions as drainers until early in March 
then on a dry day run a light roller over the grass! 
to pulverise the worm casts, and then lightly sweep 
the green and give it a good watering with lime 
water, made by putting 12 lbs. of fresh lime into 
thirty gallons of water, stirring it well up, and allow¬ 
ing it to settle down clear before using it This will 
bring the worms to the surface when they can be 
swept away. A subsequent dressing of soot and lime, 
eight bushels of the former to six bushels of the 
latter, and applied at that rate per acre, will help to 
settle any that may be left and act as a fertilizer to 
the grass also. 
Vine Border. — Constant Reader: You cannot do 
better than follow the advice given by Mr. Smythe 
m our number for November 21, p. 180, or if that is 
not convenient give the Vines a dressing of Thom¬ 
son s Vine Manure as soon as the Grapes are thinned 
in spring. \ ines want something more than mere liquid 
manure. W e should prefer a light dressing of leaves 
and litter to putting on shutters. In an ordinary 
season the shanking will probably not prevail to 
any serious extent. 
Fruit and Plant Houses.— Constant Reader : 
Except for very early forcing, when a lean-to house 
facing south is perhaps the best under all circum¬ 
stances, a span-roofed house running north and south 
is undoubtedly the best for the growth of plants and 
fruits of all kinds. 
Salt and Soot.— Omega : These make a good 
manure for Grass when mixed together at the rate 
of six bushels of salt to eight bushels of soot, and 
this quantity should be applied per acre. 
Heating. J. B. : The smell you complain of does 
not arise from the pipes or the joints, so much as 
from the overheating of the pipes, which causes the 
decomposition of particles of matter floating in the 
air, or as gardeners say, “ the hot pipe burns the 
air. . There does not seem to be any necessity for 
heating the pipes to such an extent in your case, and 
if you use the damper more, you will both avoid the 
objectionable smell, and save your fuel. 
Market Bunches.— J. L. : A bunch of Parma 
Violets measures about 6J-in. in diameter, and one of 
English Violets contains about three dozen blooms, 
Pyrethrums, one dozen, Double Primulas about six 
trusses, Mignonette, 4-5 in. in diameter; Marguer¬ 
ites one dozen. There is no limit to the number of 
anything sold in bunches in Covent Garden, which 
vary in number or size according to the season, and 
the abundance or otherwise of any particular article. 
Gall upon Oak.— A. IV,: The insect which you 
gave us is Cynips aptera, sometimes also called 
Biorhiza aptera. It is one of the Hymenoptera, and 
is remarkable in the genus and group to which it 
belongs in being wingless like an ant, for which it 
has often been mistaken. It usually occurs in galls 
upon the roots of various trees such as the Oak, Elm, 
Beech, Birch, and Horsechestnut, and sometimes 
though perhaps more rarely, upon the roots of the 
Deodar (Cedrus Deodara). Galls containing the 
insect are also occasionally found upon the roots 
of those trees above ground ; but we think that its 
occurrence upon the stems of the Oak as you have 
found it is unusual. The only remedy we can suggest 
is to remove the galls as early in the autumn as 
possible, that is, as soon as you can detect them, and 
burn them while the insect is still in them. 
Communications Received. —W T —C E J_ 
C. L.—F. H. P.—G. W.—T. S.—W. J. B.—C.—H. 
G.—D. Bros.—Carnation—W. C.—R. J. H. 
-- 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
W. E. Boyce, Archway Road, Highgate, N.— 
Descriptive Catalogue of Chrysanthemums. 
Frank Cant, Braiswick Nursery, Colchester.— 
Rose Catalogue. 
Harlan P. Kelsey, Linville, North Carolina, 
U.S..A.—Trees, Shrubs, and Herbaceous Plants, of 
the Alleghany Mountains and the Southern States. 
James Carter & Co., 237-8, High Holborn, W.C. 
—List of Novelties for 1892. 
W. Harris Thompson, Union Bridge, Pemberton, 
Lancashire.—Choice New and Old Chrysanthe¬ 
mums. 
LONDON SEED TRADE. 
November 30 th, 1891. 
Messrs. Hurst & Son, 152, Houndsditch, and 3g, 
Seed Market, Mark Lane, E.C., report that the market 
for Red Clover and Alsike is steady. Trefoil is enquired 
for at a slight advance. Ryegrasses advancing. 
White Clover is dearer, 
