March 26, 1892. 
471 
The gardening world. 
Cleanliness. 
Plants in rooms are certain to have their leaves 
coated over with a deposit of dust. When the leaves 
are smooth or shiny, dust may be readily removed 
by washing, but when they are soft and woolly, and 
covered with hairs, a piece of sponge should be used 
and applied very gently, to prevent injury. As it is 
much easier to keep one’s own face thoroughly clean 
by washing it every day, so with plants, and 
especially so if they are kept in a room where fires 
are in constant use, the leaves should be well 
washed, at least once a week, and before they become 
dry it is a good plan to sprinkle them with a little 
clean water ; a small syringe or a large squirt can 
be obtained at a small cost. In syringing a plant, 
lay it on its side, say on a tea tray, and then the 
water used will not run into the flower pot, or it 
may cause the plant to become water-logged. In 
the summer time a gentle summer’s rain—nature’s 
own shower-bath—will prove more effectual than 
sponging and syringing, even by the most loving 
hands. 
Insects. 
Insects will gather on plants that are kept in con¬ 
finement within doors. The most tiresome pest is 
what is known as the green-fly, and the usually dry 
air of a dwelling room assists their increase; and 
when I say that they live on the juices of the plant, 
which juices they pump out in a most methodical 
fashion, it must be obvious they are hurtful to plant 
life. A small paint or artists’ brush will sweep away 
many of them. Take it as a broad principle that 
they hate tobacco, whether in smoke, water, or 
snuff; but it will not avail to get the master of the 
house to merely puft smoke among these depredators 
as he is enjoying his pipe of an evening. To dis¬ 
lodge them something stronger is required. If you 
have a washing tub, lay the plants carefully on their 
sides in it, over it stretch a wet towel wrung out, but 
there should be no holes in it ; then let the master 
take a pipe with a long stem to it—what is known as 
a churchwarden will be the best—fill it with tobacco, 
pass the stem through to the tub under one corner 
of the cloth, light it in the usual way, and then blow 
on to the burning tobacco through two or threefolds 
of an ordinary pocket handkerchief, and I shall be 
very much mistaken if the enemy are not completely 
destroyed. Two points are important, the leaves of 
the plants should be thoroughly dry when they are 
fumigated, and the pipe-stem should reach to the 
bottom of the tub, so that the smoke may ascend 
among the leaves. 
Staking. 
Plants that make long shoots should be supported 
by slight stakes. But it is better to put three or 
four stakes round a pot so that the branches can be 
tied out and air admitted freely among them, than 
tying them all up to one stake, and huddling them 
close together. Plants kept in a confined atmosphere 
will become what gardeners term “ leggy,” therefore, 
aid should be given on all suitable occasions in order 
to promote a tough and stocky growth as far as 
possible. 
Soil. 
Soil is a matter of the very first importance, and 
it is very difficult for such ones as you who are be¬ 
fore me to-night to obtain suitable soil. If Mr. 
Whitborne could induce Mr. Harry Veitch to send a 
cartload of good plant soil to each Mission Room, it 
.would greatly assist you in the growth of your 
plants. What you want is some good yellow loam 
or mould. Some leaf soil, that is, mould from rotted 
leaves and silver sand ; that would grow any kind of 
plant suitable for your show. But for a few pence a 
florist or nurseryman would sell you enough for your 
purpose. 
Pots. 
Next comes pots. There is nothing like red clay 
pots to grow plants in, but a good deal can be done 
in small boxes. When a few years ago we held the 
City Flower Show in Finsbury Circus plants were 
brought in jam pots, cracked basins, and many 
singular things, and especially was this the case in 
regard to the contributions from the narrow courts 
of Bishopsgate Street. Some pots are glazed on the 
inside, but unglazed ones are decidedly the best, and 
especially for plants grown in towns. And be quite 
sure the pots are clean before plants are put in 
them. If they have been previously used for this 
purpose, wash them thoroughly before plants are 
again put in them. 
Stimulants. 
Some may be disposed to ask " Are stimulants 
necessary for window plants?” I think that if the 
plants are potted in good soil, it will carry them 
through, if they are well looked after in the matter of 
watering. But the housewife can help by saving a 
little soot that falls down the chimney, and spreading 
a thin layer of it over the surface of the soil in the 
pot, and when water is given some of it is carried 
down to the roots, and the plant is benefited. 
Guano and suchlike powerful manures or stimulants 
should be employed only by those who are well 
acquainted with the culture of plants. Even soot 
must be sparingly employed. 
Hardening |Iiscellany. 
PHECENIX ROEBELENI 
When this Palm first appeared before the public, its 
value as a decorative plant was doubted on account 
of the slow growth of the old plants exhibited. 
Since then many young plants have been obtained 
and grown on evidently under more favourable con¬ 
ditions, the growth appears to be more rapid than 
one would at first have expected. There are some 
young plants of it in the nursery of Messrs. J. Veitch 
& Sons, Chelsea, some in 6o and some in 48-size 
pots, and each plant is furnished with six to twelve 
leaves. They are of arching habit and of a rich 
dark green‘with linear, channelled pinnse, the lower¬ 
most of which are spiny-pointed, but not to the 
same extent as is seen in P. rupicola or P. reclinata. 
Its slow-growing character should moreover be a 
recommendation to those whose space is limited and 
who may therefore grow the same plants for a great 
number of years before it is necessary to replace them 
with younger plants. 
THE DOUBLE CHINESE CHERRY. 
This name is applied to Cerasus serrulata, a semi¬ 
double Cherry which was introduced from China in 
1822, and may sometimes be seen in gardens under 
the names of C. Sieboldii or C. Watered. The 
flowers are much larger than those of two other 
double Cherries grown in British gardens, but not 
nearly so full in the centre, and, instead of being 
pure white, they are of a pale rose or pink hue. 
The leaves are drawn out into a long point and finely 
serrulated. It forms a dwarf tree 10 ft. to 15 ft. in 
height with thinly disposed stout branches, and 
flowers in the open gronnd in April. It is also use¬ 
ful for forcing purposes, and is then grown as a 
standard on stems about 4 ft. high, so that it proves 
serviceable in large conservatories, where it may be 
stood amongst other tall growing plants. 
QALANTHUS FOSTERI. 
In general appearance this Snowdrop resembles G. 
latifolius, but comes into bloom much earlier than 
the last named kind. It commenced flowering about 
the beginning of February, long before the other 
showed a bloom. Flowers are also much more 
freely produced by G. Fosterii; and it is interesting 
to note how they vary in shape, some having the 
outer segments very much elongated, and others 
again having them shortened so as to appear globose. 
The leaves are broad and of a bright green, not 
glaucous as in most forms of Snowdrop. The inner 
segments have a green blotch at the base externally, 
another of horse-shoe shape round the notch, and 
the inner face is green, lined with white. In these 
respects the flower reminds us of G. Elwesi, but the 
other characters and particularly the foliage is quite 
different. 
THE CORNELIAN CHERRY. 
One of the earliest shrubs to flow'er is Cornus mas, 
to which the above name is popularly applied. It is 
surprising how quickly the flower buds have swollen 
up and expanded when the frost, snow, and cold 
winds gave place to the mild and genial weather, 
which in the London district set in on Tuesday, the 
15th inst. The Cornelian Cherry when allowed to 
attain its natural dimensions forms a small tree 8 ft. 
to 15 ft. in height with a broad spreading head. 
When of this size and planted in front of taller trees, 
the background serves to show off the yellow bracts 
of the flowers to great advantage. A background of 
some of the dark foliaged and evergreen Conifers, 
such as Cupressus, Junipers, Pines, Spruces or Silver 
Firs, would answer even better than deciduous trees. 
The flowers themselves are very small and by no 
means conspicuous, but being aggregated in an 
umbel or cluster, and, surrounded by the bright 
yellow bracts, they render the tree highly orna¬ 
mental in spring. It is a European plant, although 
not wild in Britain, and is therefore very hardy. 
CUPRES8US NUTK/ENSIS. 
The number of synonyms with which this tree is 
loaded is surely a disgrace to botanists, to leave out 
of question the annoyance, embarrassment and con¬ 
fusion caused amongst amateurs, and even gardeners 
themselves, by the multiplicity of names One of 
the commonest names besides the above is Thujopsis, 
or Thuyopsis borealis. Thuya, Thuja, and 
Chamascyparis are also used by different authors 
and writers. The tree itself is of straggling habit in 
the young state, that is, when from 5 ft to 8 ft. high, 
or even more, the side branches are thinly disposed 
and open ; but when the tree gets to a height of 20 ft. 
or 30 ft. the side branches are then developed in 
much greater abundance so that the whole presents 
a regularly pyramidal and compact habit from top to 
bottom. The rich dark green hue of the branches 
and foliage, even in the depth of winter, is a strong 
argument in favour of the planting of this tree. 
Thuya gigantea and T. occidentalis, it is well known, 
change their hue to a yellowish or brownish-green 
during winter, but Cupressus nutkaensis and C. Law- 
soniana do not. There is a fine specimen of the 
former about 30 ft. to 35ft. high, and forming a 
dense habited and perfect pyramid, in the garden of 
Mr. Simmonds, the School, Bearwood, Wokingham. 
LAPAGERIA ROSEA NASH COURT. 
For length of flower this variety has no competitor. 
There are several others which have more widely- 
spreading segments, but they are shorter and 
paler in colour in most cases. The buds are pro¬ 
duced in succession all along the stems, and occa¬ 
sionally pieces a yard in length may be seen fur¬ 
nished in this way, a large number of the flowers 
being open at the same time, the rest in the bud 
state. The segments are fleshy, of great substance, 
and of an intense purple-red. The leaves are also 
larger than those of the more ordinary forms, ovate, 
leathery, and of a dark shining green. Altogether it 
is a very vigorous form, and should find a place as a 
roof climber in all large conservatories where the 
stems have plenty of room to develope themselves 
unrestricted. It is nearly always in flower in the 
nursery of Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill. 
TILLAN DSlA HIEROG LYPHI CA. 
The dense arrangement of the leaves of this species 
gives the plant a greater appearance of solidity and 
stability than those with a few thin and straggling 
ones. From twenty to thirty of these are arranged 
in a dense vasiform tuft, with the internodes of the 
stem just sufficiently elongated to prevent undue 
crowding. Those species which soon attain the 
flowering stage, loose the best of their leaves soon 
after. That under notice, as far as we are aware, 
has hitherto refused to flower, so that its fine foliage 
remains intact for many years. The leaves are of a 
light green in the young stage, getting darker with 
age, and are banded transversely with irregularly 
formed deep olive green bands or blotches which 
have suggested the specific name. The plant is a 
native of Southern Brazil and does best with stove 
treatment. 
SPRING SHOW AT 
LIVERPOOL. 
The ninth spring show of Hyacinths, Tulips, 
Azaleas, and forced hardy plants, under the auspices 
of the Liverpool Horticultural Association, was held 
on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week in St. 
George’s Hall. But owing to the fact that the show 
this year was held a few weeks earlier than on pre¬ 
vious occasions, it was not so large as it might 
otherwise have been, although in some classes, 
notably Hyacinths, the entries were unusually 
numerous, and this competition was, as usual, one of 
the principal features of the show. Mr. O. H. 
Williams won the first prizes for eighteen distinct 
varieties of Hyacinths, and for a group of twelve 
distinct varieties, and also for six. Amongst the 
specimens he exhibited, all of which were rich in 
bloom and of a very fine size, most noticeable were 
Queen of the Blues, King of the Blues, Obelesque, 
