358 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
February 6, 1892 
FLORICULTURE. 
The Auricula. 
.One can trace a perceptible movement in the plants. 
We may now anticipate some mild, sunny weather; 
to such the Auricula quickly responds. The condi¬ 
tions of the plants should be made as agreeable as 
possible—clean shelves and pots, and sweet surface 
soil. Those who top dress will soon commence to 
do so. The surface soil needs to be carefully re¬ 
moved, taking care not to disturb the fine roots near 
the surface, and adding something fresh and sweet. 
But the early days of February will be soon enough 
for this operation. Water when necessary, and give 
plenty of air to house or frame in favourable wea¬ 
ther. 
Carnations and Picotees. 
The preparations fcr potting should engage atten¬ 
tion-getting pots and soil read}'. I have known 
Borne begin by the second week in February, and it 
is pretty much a matter of convenience. Give the 
young plants a free circulation of air, and see that 
they are clean and healthy. 
Cinerarias 
Should be near the glass—they cannot have too much 
light—be well attended to in the matter of water, 
and be kept clean from green fly. Should there be 
a promise of sharp frost, cover up at night. Safe 
bind, safe find. 
Dahlias. 
I hear complaints that the roots of some kinds of 
Dahlias have wintered badly, owing to the excessive 
wet of the summer. Rot will sometimes cause severe 
losses, and if any roots show signs of taking it, I 
would recommend that they be put to work in gentle 
heat as soon as possible, so as to secure stock. The 
earliest cuttings are of little value; they may be 
stout in the stem but hollow and sappy. The smal¬ 
ler, later, and harder growths make the best plants. 
Hollyhocks 
In pots for planting out to bloom should also be kept 
near the glass, and be watered as necessary ; in 
giving it taking care not to wet the foliage. Old stools 
in the ground are liable to suffer from moisture at 
the surface ; and they can be preserved from material 
injury by some of the soil being drawn away and 
a circle of rough sand or fine cinder ashes being 
placed round it. 
Hyacinths 
In pots will now be pushing up their leaves and need 
to be near the glass with plenty of light falling upon 
them. A drawn Hyacinth is a melancholy sight. 
Some varieties have a tendency to produce long 
leaves, and need to be kept as stocky as possible in 
consequence. Those in glasses need the same at¬ 
tention. Plenty of light and adequate water will tend 
to restrict the growth of leaves. 
Pansies 
In the open ground are on the move, slowly it is 
true. They can be helped by a surface stirring of 
the soil when sufficiently dry, and the addition of 
suitable surface dressing of a good rich compost. 
Pansies in pots are, I fear, a feature of the past, and 
yet it is a pleasant and interesting occupation to 
grow a few in a cold frame. Perhaps some day the 
practice will be revived. I can remember the time 
when grand plants were grown in pots and they pro¬ 
duced blooms of the highest quality. 
Pinks, 
Like Pansies, will be benefited by a surface dres¬ 
sing, and if any plants have been lifted or loosened by 
the action of the frost they should be firmly pressed 
into the soil before top dressing is added. I need 
scarcely say the leading shoots should be secured 
from injury by winds. 
Polyanthuses. 
So few grow these in pots that it is almost a work of 
supererogation to treat of them. The choice gold- 
laced varieties are much more susceptible to injury 
from frost than the choicest Auriculas. The fact is, 
when grown in pots they should never be allowed to 
become frozen, or losses will ensue. Rot sets in at 
the collars, and it seems impossible to stay its pro¬ 
gress. But if the named sorts are grown at all it 
must be in pots. They require rather more water at 
this time of the year than Auriculas. 
Pelargoniums. 
These are so soon affected by green fly, a warm 
atmosphere being necessary at night, that constant 
fumigations are necessary. In the case of plants for 
blooming a little judicious pinching may be necessary 
to secure a good shape, as a symmetrical outline 
makes the specimen so much more attractive when 
in bloom. The fancy varieties need a closer and 
rather warmer atmosphere. Any specimens re¬ 
quiring a last shift, should have it as soon as conve 
nient.— R. D. 
Pansies, Violas, &c. 
In the Gardening World of last week I note a 
few words from “ Veritas ” who refers to my 
remarks upon the effect of east winds upon 
Pansies and Violas in the Midlands. Here in the 
near vicinity to Birmingham, we find that brown 
aphis always makes rapid headway when we have 
the cold biting easterly winds of spring, which seem 
to blister young growth so much. Away in the 
north, not far from the sea coast, where “ Veritas " 
enjoys many advantages we cannot in climate, 
Pansy-growing is so much easier than in these smoky 
districts. With many the brown aphis is a deadly 
enemy, and frequent syringings of “ Swift and Sure ” 
or some other strong insecticide should be closely 
followed up. So far the winter is a most favourable one 
for Pansies, and many an amateur will rejoice greatly 
if we can pull through with only a small spell of very 
nipping easterly winds.— IF. D. 
Midland Counties Pansy Society. 
Will you kindly spare space to say that there is an 
unavoidable delay in getting out the schedule of this 
Society. I have been prostrated with a very severe 
illness, and although everything was ready for a Com¬ 
mittee Meeting, which I should have called quite three 
weeks since, the severity of the illness compelled the 
setting aside of all business matters. Everything now 
points to my being able to have a meeting in a few 
days, pass the schedule, and have it printed at once. 
I have no hesitation in saying that it beats all record 
as a Pansy schedule, and we shall have a wonderful 
exhibition. A copy will be sent to all subscribers. 
Will any persons not subscribing and wishing to 
have a copy, please send a postage stamp for it, to 
the hon. secretary, IF. Dean, Dolphin Road, Sparhhill, 
Birmingham. 
THE CLEMATIS. 
This is a very beautiful genus of climbing deciduous 
shrubs and herbaceous perennials. 
I do not propose to treat upon their propagation, 
because many nurserymen make a special feature of 
this, and, as they have houses and pits especially 
adapted for the purpose, they are able to produce 
them of better quality and much cheaper than the 
majority of amateurs would succeed in doing. I 
intend devoting the chief part of my remarks to 
growing these showy subjects in pots, for the deco¬ 
ration of the greenhouse and conservatory. For 
decorative purposes during spring, very few flowers 
equal these compared to the trouble they give. I 
desire, therefore, to call attention to their pot culture, 
and will endeavour to give a few brief directions 
upon the best method of treating the four classes 
of these flowers, most suitable for that purpose. 
These are the Jackmanni, Florida, Patens, and 
Lanuginosa types; and with very little attention, 
one may have these in flower during the greater part 
of the year. 
Any ordinary greenhouse temperature will suit 
them very well; and a few plants purchased now, 
may be grown on to give a nice show early this 
spring. 
Pot into well-drained pots, and use a good rich 
soil. They may be repotted annually until they 
have reached io to 12 in. sizes. After this, I prefer 
knocking them out of their pots and reducing their 
balls as much as possible without injuring the roots 
too severely. Place in smaller pots again, and feed 
well. When in large pots, provided the drainage is 
still clear, you can remove a little of the surface soil 
and give the plants a good mulching with strong 
loam and manure. 
Clematis will take, and benefit very much from 
frequent applications of liquid manure while in full 
growth. 
Varieties of the Jackmanni type make very long 
shoots every season, and flower upon the same wood 
T he Carnation : its History, Properties, and 
Management; with a descriptive list of the best 
varieties in cultivation. By E. S. Dodwell. Third 
edition, with supplementary chapter on the yellow 
ground. London : B. Wynne, “ Gardening World” 
office, i, Clement's Inn, Strand, W.C, Price is. 6d.; 
post free, is. yd.— [Advt.J 
during the summer months. Of course when these 
are grown on under glass they come into flower 
much earlier, and being kept free from rough and 
inclement weather they are more showy and 
gorgeous than when grown out of doors. As soon as 
the shoots of this class have attained their full 
length they begin to bloom from under every leaf. 
Trim the growth back as soon as they have done 
flowering and are partially ripened down ; stand the 
plants on one side, and wait until they start into 
growth again, when they should be growm on in an 
ordinary greenhouse temperature and Jflowered as 
before. 
A few of the best of this class are Clematis Jack¬ 
manni, C. J. superba, C. Alexander, C. rubro- 
violacea, C. Gipsy Queen, and C. Star of India. 
These long growing varieties can be trained around 
sticks or wires in the pots ; or they may be grown on 
wires and cross bars in the conservatory. 
Plants of the Florida and Patens classes are of an 
entirely different habit, as these flower from the long 
growths, but not during the same season as the 
growths were made. 
It is a good plan to grow these with their shoots 
well exposed to the light, such as up the pillars or raf¬ 
ters of a house. If you do so, there is a much better 
opportuuity of their growths getting thoroughly 
matured; and as the flower buds are practically stored 
in these shoots during their maturation, it is very 
important that this should be carried out effectually. 
After the growths are matured, they may be tied 
to any shape similar to the growing shoots of the 
Jackmanni class. Keep them cool and at rest for a 
short time, then start in a very gentle and moist heat, 
when they will flower from almost every eye. 
There are certain to be some young shoots breaking 
from the base of the plants by the time they have 
finished flowering. You should cut away the 
growth that has flowered, and encourage these young 
shoots as much as possible, as upon these depends 
your next crop of bloom from this section of the 
Clematis. 
The best of the Florida and Patens type are Coun¬ 
tess of Lovelace, Duchess of Edinburgh, Belle of 
Woking, and Beauty of Worcester; all of these 
belong to the first-named class, and possess double 
flowers of exquisite beauty and delicacy of colour. 
The Queen, Albert Victor, Fair Rosamond, and 
Miss Bateman are grand examples of the Patens type. 
We now come to those of the Lanuginosa class, 
and these may be grown very similar to the classes 
last named. They flower in succession upon short 
laterals from the longer growths, and should there¬ 
fore not be cut down hard at any time, but merely 
have the dead and weakest growths trimmed away. 
There are some really splendid varieties among this 
class ; perhaps the best of them are Henryii, Otto 
Froebel, Gem, Blue Gem, and Beauty of Surrey. 
To all who have ever seen the splendid banks of 
pot Clematises exhibited by Jackman & Son, there 
can be no need of praising these flowers. I know 
from experience how very easily they can be grown 
to perfection, and how grand they are in any con¬ 
servatory whether growing over trellis work, wires, 
or in pots. The tips of the young growths are occa¬ 
sionally troubled with a little green fly, but a slight 
syringing or dipping the points of growth into a 
solution of soft soap will effectually clear them of 
these little pests.— Experience. 
-- 
APPLE TREE CULTURE. 
I think that the paper read by Mr. William Crump, 
of Madresfield Court Gardens, at the Fruit Con¬ 
ference held in Manchester last October, was so 
full of valuable suggestions that it is well they should 
receive a little notice in the columns of The Gar¬ 
dening World. The subject of his paper was 
II The Raising, Budding, Grafting, and Pruning of 
Apple Trees for Orchard or Estate Planting,” ana 
these points were set forth by Mr. Crump in a clear 
and interesting way. I may state that Mr. Crump 
brought from Madresfield a collection of Apples re¬ 
markable for their brilliancy of colour; and on my 
asking him how he accounted for the depth of colour 
and for the delicate bloom on some—most—of the 
Apples, he said he thought it traceable to a consider¬ 
able extent to the nature of the stocks employed for 
budding and grafting at Madresfield Court. 
At this fine Worcestershire estate of the Earl Beau¬ 
champ, there is under Mr. Crump’s charge a home 
nursery where fruit trees are specially grown fir 
