June 20, 1896. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
678 
nice strong plants. The planting out system is 
certainly advantageous in order to save pot room 
throughout the summer, and this is no doubt the 
great reason why it is so extensively practised.— 
P. H. P. 
-- 
SOLANUM WENDLANDII. 
Those who have a stove or a warm conservatory 
with a moderately high roof would find this an 
admirable subject 
for training up the 
pillars and rafters. 
It is a gorgeous 
plant when allowed 
plenty of head 
room so that the 
side branches can 
be allowed to hang 
down freely. The 
immense trusses of 
lilac-blue flowers 
are produced at 
the apex of these 
side branches, so 
that they should 
not be stopped, 
otherwise a sea¬ 
son’s bloom will 
be lost. Though 
lengthy, the 
branches are few 
and strong. After 
flowering is over 
these branches 
may be cut light 
back to the main 
stem, and the 
plant, therefore, 
kept within due 
bounds. The ac¬ 
companying illus¬ 
tration will serve 
to give an idea of 
a small truss of 
bloom, and one of 
the largest or most 
developed forms of 
the leaf. The latter 
on the stronger 
part of the plant 
is pinnatifid, but 
higher up is repre¬ 
sented by a three- 
lobed one, and 
close to the flowers 
the leaf assumes a 
heart-shaped form. 
The form and char¬ 
acter of the flower 
is very typical of 
the genus to which 
the plant belongs, 
but each bloom 
attains a diameter 
of 2J inches. The 
species was intro¬ 
duced from Costa 
Rica in 1882, but 
has not yet enjoyed 
half the recognition 
it deserves. When 
in full bloom it is 
as gorgeous and 
showy a climber 
as might well be 
imagined, away 
from scarlet and 
other intense col¬ 
ours. The softened 
hues of Solanum 
Wendlandii har¬ 
monise well with 
other subjects in a house, and do not offend the eye 
notwithstanding the profusion of bloom 
■ H *- 
GERANIUM PRATENSE. 
G. pratense, or the Meadow Crane’s-bill, is one of 
those good things which may be found in situ in 
various places along the banks of our tortuous 
Thames. It is, also, one of those bright and showy 
flowers which even boating men must stop to notice 
and admire. It is of vigorous habit, with large, 
THE MANAGEMENT OF SOILS AND 
THE APPLICATION OF MANURES. 
(Concluded from p. 658 .) 
Draining. 
All kinds of soils (except those that are naturally 
drained by resting upon gravel or rocks), are greatly 
improved by this process. Soils that contain a super¬ 
abundance of moisture have been proved to be much 
colder than those 
from which it can 
readily drain away. 
Water is supposed 
to be heavier at 
the temperature of 
about 40° than 
when it is warmer 
or colder. Warm 
water will float on 
cold, and it is well 
known that frozen 
water in the shape 
of ice will float on 
the surface of that 
of a higher tem¬ 
perature, so that it 
must appear evi¬ 
dent that soil con¬ 
taining a quantity 
of cold water, 
which cannot es¬ 
cape, will not 
become any the 
warmer by the 
addition of water 
of a higher tem¬ 
perature from the 
warm rains, which 
will remain on the 
surface of the cold¬ 
er water, instead of 
descending into the 
soil below for the 
benefit of the roots 
of plants. When 
the soil is water 
logged it not only 
prevents the de¬ 
scent of warm rain, 
but it also prevents 
the free access to 
the soil of the 
warm air, which 
acts upon the vari¬ 
ous substances in 
the soil by the ad¬ 
mission of oxygen 
and other natural 
gases. Ground that 
is well drained may 
be flooded at times 
after heavy falls of 
rain, but when the 
heavy rains cease 
to fall, the surplus 
water drains away, 
thus leaving the 
space previously 
occupied by water 
to be again replaced 
by the air, which is 
usually warm after 
heavy rainfalls. 
This warm air will 
then contribute 
heat to the soil, 
which must be a 
decided advantage 
to crops that are 
growing in it, or 
those that will 
eventually occupy 
it It will appear obvious that draining forms one of 
the most important operations connected with the 
management of the soil. 
Soils for Potting. 
While on the subject of the management of soils, it 
may not be out of place to consider here soils that 
are used for potting, and other purposes under glass. 
Gardeners as a yule have but little choice in the 
matter of soil for potting purposes, but have to 
content themselves generally with that which is in 
deeply-cut leaves on long petioles, which cannot fail 
to attract ; while the size and colour of the flowers 
render it an object worthy of cultural care. In fact, 
it is the only plant in this genus—G. wallichianum, 
perhaps, excepted—which is entitled to be designated 
as the *' blue ” Geranium. It certainly is a fine rich 
purplish blue, and although the petals are faintly 
marked with white lines, it comes as near what most 
people understand by the term *■ blue," as, probably, 
Solanum Wendlandii. 
we shall ever see. If, however, it is not true blue, i f 
is true Geranium, which those much-sought-after 
plants for bedding purposes are really not—except, 
of course, by affinity. 
G. pratense is a good hardy harbaceous or rockery 
plant, and is so employed at Kew with much effect. 
But, neither in the broad acres of Kew, nor the 
liliputian domain of your humble servant, was the 
plant in character on the 30th of May, when the first 
bloom of the season was gathered above Boulter’sLock, 
in the vicinity of Maidenhead, by C. B. G., Acton, W. 
