798 
August 15, 1896 . 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
VERBENAS AS ANNUALS. 
In the garden, as in the commercial world, the pro¬ 
ducts of the present age are begotten at such an 
express speed that our progenitors- say fifty years 
ago—would possibly have been astounded at the 
results which we moderns accept in the most fait 
accompli manner. Otherwise bow comes it about that 
the bedding Verbena, which is really a greenhouse 
perennial, should render itself amenable to annual 
culture ? I think the answer must be that the latter- 
day gardener has shown himself equal to the occa¬ 
sion, and has, in consequence, brought about a 
condition of things which his forerunner would 
hardly have dreamed of. 
Such, however, is the fact, which was duly 
emphasized the other day during a visit to Edendale, 
Acton, W., the eligible residence of Major Wilkin¬ 
son, J.P. Here may be seen, on the lawn, a long 
bed 18 ft. by 4 ft. which is occupied entirely by 
Verbenas, the colours of which range through 
numerous gradations,from pure white to rich velvety- 
purplish-blue ; in fact, seventeen or eighteen distinct 
shades of colour were easily selected. Moreover, 
the size and perfume, too, were all that could be 
desired, the former reminding me of Primula 
obconica, and the latter of Stepanotis floribunda. 
Doubtless this was due to liberal treatment as Mr. 
Chandler, the gardener, stated that he had trenched 
and well broken up the soil previous to planting, 
besides adding a couple of barrow-loads of leaf 
mould. He further gave it as his opinion that early 
planting was the main secret of success. The strain 
is known as Veitch’s Verbena compacta, and well 
merits the name, as no pegging is required or adopted, 
except with the outer line. The seed (a small 
packet only) was sown in February, in gentle heat, 
seedlings pricked out as soon as possible, thence to a 
cold frame to harden off, and ultimately transferred 
to the open, about gin. apart, as early as the third 
week in April. 
Mr. Chandler attributes their robustness of growth 
and freedom of flowering to the initiatory stages of 
treatment ; but I think that the manurial properties 
of the soil and the tropical condition of the weather 
have largely contributed towards the success which 
has unquestionably been obtained. 
One thing, however, is quite certain, that seedlings 
are superior to cuttings for bedding purposes; and, 
as these are easily raised from year to year, no one 
with an eye to economy, or utility, will be likely to 
revert to the old fashioned practice of taking cuttings, 
courting disease, or otherwise submitting to those 
necessarily evil concomitants implied by winter 
culture.— C. B. G., Acton, IF. 
- I - - 
BEGONIAS FROM LEIGHTON 
BUZZARD. 
For many years past Edward Edwards, Esq., 
Holmeside, Leighton Buzzard, has been working 
away at the hybridisation and selection of tuberous 
Begonias with the enthusiasm of an amateur who 
has a real love for his self-imposed occupation. Two 
boxes of blooms gathered from his seedlings, as yet 
unnamed, reached our office last week, packed in a 
very ingenious manner, and labelled “ this side up 
with care.” Each bloom with the exception of four 
small ones was placed in a small box, having damp 
moss in the bottom, and the whole placed in big 
boxes. The means taken to insure the boxes being 
carried the proper way up was very ingenious, and, 
needless to say, the flowers arrived in perfect condi¬ 
tion. Some of the small boxes were round, and others 
square; and the only fault we had to either was that 
they were rather small for the big blooms, all of 
which were double. Mr. Edwards also takes plea¬ 
sure in the single ones, however. 
The want of names prevents us from referring to 
the varieties properly, but we had no difficulty in 
selecting those which modern taste considers the 
best types. The most refined flowers were those 
having their petals arranged round a single centre or 
nearly so. Amongst these we would place a bright 
orange-scarlet variety. Chaste, delicate, and 
charming was a salmon-pink variety with very 
broad petals. A delicate flesh-coloured one, with 
a white centre would make a companion to that just 
mentioned. Then come two white varieties with 
pink margins like wire-edged Picotees ; but the 
broad petalled one was the better of the two. Very 
handsome also was a broad rosy-edged variety, 
another of the Picotee types, with a very large 
flower. A self-coloured pink variety was also a 
lovely bloom. Here also we would place a pure 
white, a red and a rose self. 
Others presented some charming and delicate, or 
even dark colours; and if the petals had been 
arranged round a single centre, the varieties would 
have taken the first rank. A soft salmon-apricot 
variety, and a glowing crimson-scarlet one, would 
come into this category. Another resembled a pale 
Gloire de Dijon Rose in colour. A dark crimson 
one with broad wavy petals was bold and striking. 
A rich yellow was also very attractive except in 
form ; and the same may be said of an intense red 
one resembling a bouquet of small red Roses 
individually neat but lumpy in the aggregate, of 
great depth and not unattractive. If the plants are 
of good habit and the flowers upright, Mr. Edwards 
is succeeding in raising some very handsome 
varieties His Camellia-shaped flowers are not yet 
in bloom. 
-- 
BRITISH GERANIUMS. 
I agree with " Collector ” (p. 771) that G. molle is 
perhaps the most frequent species, though I differ 
from him as to G. dissectum, which, I think, very 
nearly as common. He says he has "gathered G. 
pratense in Berks.” Why the banks of the Thames 
for nearly its whole distance are lined with it. I have 
seen it also in profusion in Northumberland on dry 
banks. G. svlvaticum which he places on a par 
with G. pyrenaicum, I have never met with. It is 
evident that these different experiences result from 
observations in divergent districts. Impatiens fulva, 
which I have always classed under theBalsaminaceae, 
is beginning to crowd the sides of the rivers and canals 
communicating with the Thames, but it is not even 
mentioned in the London catalogue, although I. 
parviflora, which is not so general, is included, and 
is equally an introduced plant.— Sigma. 
- •!> 
VEGETABLES FOR EXHIBITION. 
(i Continued from p. 786). 
Onions. 
The Onion requires a very rich soil of a somewhat 
heavy character to grow it to the standard required 
for exhibition at the present time. A few years ago 
a single Onion weighing half a pound was considered 
to be a first-class production ; but now they are 
grown up to 3 lbs. each. The soil for these should be 
trenched in the autumn 2 ft. deep, and heavily 
manured from the farmyard, placing a layer between 
the top spits, also in the bottom ; and the ground 
left rough for the winter. A sprinkling of salt and 
soot two or three times throughout the spring will 
help to rid the soil of many impurities and insects. 
As soon as the ground is dry enough in March it 
should have a heavy sprinkling of wood ashes and 
well forked over, and will be in readiness to receive 
the plants. The seed of the Onions should be sown 
thinly in boxes or pans about the end of January or 
the beginning of February, and placed in a tempera¬ 
ture of from 55 0 to 6o°. The boxes should be 
covered with sheets of paper till once the young 
seedlings make their appearance, then inured 
gradually to the light; as soon as they are about 
in. high, they should be pricked into other boxes 
which have been well drained and filled with a com¬ 
post consisting of two parts loam, one part old hot¬ 
bed manure, with a little leaf mould and wood ashes, 
all put through a £ in. sieve. A distance of 2 in. 
each way will be sufficient for them, and they should 
be watered and grown on in the same heat until the 
last week in March, when they may be removed to 
the cold frame to harden off. 
About the third week in April is the best time to 
transplant them to open quarters. The ground, 
having already been prepared so far, should be 
raked over, and the seedlings planted in lines 9 in. 
apart and 18 in. between the lines. The month of 
April being usually showery, they soon grow away, 
providing they have been carefully planted as they 
should be with balls adhering to the roots. As soon 
as they have started to grow, frequent sowings of 
soot should be given; and sand or charcoal after 
being well soaked in paraffin and allowed to become 
dry, should be freely sown over the crop to prevent 
the Onion fly alighting to deposit its eggs, or the 
deadly maggot may soon render the crop a sorry 
spectacle. As soon as they begin to “ head,” feeding 
should commence. A slight sprinkling of nitrate of 
soda, and a soaking of liquid manure every alternate 
week will assist them to swell to a large size. 
There are many manures that are useful in assisting 
this crop, but no risk should be run with overfeeding. 
As soon as it is noticed that the Onions are complet¬ 
ing their growth, all feeding by hand should be 
stopped, otherwise there will be some tendency to 
splitting. An important point with Onions is to 
have as little cracked skin as possible when shown. 
This must be taken in hand when growing, and any 
loose skin removed, so that the remaining skin is 
enabled to become of the same colour through 
exposure to the weather, otherwise if that which is 
loose is left till immediately before the show, and 
then removed, some parts have the appearance of 
being peeled and points are lost accordingly. 
Should mildew be troublesome, a dusting of 
flowers of sulphur should be applied to the whole 
crop on its first appearance and repeated frequently. 
The most suitable varieties for exhibition are Ailsa 
Craig and Cranston's Excelsior, there being little to 
choose between them. 
Peas. 
A good dish of Peas in season is a valuable 
addition to any collection of vegetables, however 
small and various are the methods applied to obtain 
that end. Possibly growing them in trenches, prepared 
as if for Celery, is the best of all methods : at least, this 
is my experience. Trenches should be taken out 2 ft. 
deep, and the same in width, and filled in with well- 
rotted manure from the farmyard, and a good 
sprinkling of wood ashes given; also a part of the 
soil taken from the trench should be added, and all 
thoroughly mixed together, filling in till the trench 
is within 6 in. of the level. Then the top soil should 
be filled in t ill the whole surface is even. A flat line 
about 6 in. wide, should be drawn, and about 3 in 
deep, then the seed planted in two rows, and the seeds 
not closer than 3 in. apart. It is a mistake to sow 
closer as the growth becomes weak and entangled, 
and the constitution of the plant is weakened. 
As soon as the Peas are through the ground, soot 
or lime should be regularly sown till they are beyond 
the reach of slugs. Staking should early be attended 
to, before they become twisted about with the wind. 
As soon as they are in flower some of them should 
be stopped immediately beyond the first truss so as 
to enable the pods to attain a larger size There is 
no doubt about the advantage of this proceeding as 
can readily be noticed whenever a few are tried. It 
will be too much to expect that one sowing is 
sufficient to enable the grower to make sure of a 
good dish on the date of the show, as seasons are so 
variable; the crop might be too early or too late. 
Therefore, two or three sowings should be made, all 
of the same variety at intervals of eight days. Then 
there is almost a certainty that one of these sowings 
will come right. It will be useless for me to mention 
the dates on which they should be sown, as all will 
depend on when the show is. When the pods begin 
to swell, feeding should commence, and copious 
supplies of weak liquid manure and soot water in a 
weak form should be applied. 
In dry seasons, such as the one we have just 
passed through, thrips are usually abundant on the 
Pea haulm. Syringing in the evenings after hot 
days is an excellent preventive ; but, of course, 
where feeding is being carried on and plenty of 
water given, the haulm is in a robust state, and not 
so liable to their attacks, as when the crop is in a 
less healthy condition. Mildew may also give 
trouble, but not often when the crop is grown in 
trenches. I quite believe that the chief cause of 
mildew is dryness at the root when the atmosphere 
is cold and damp after a dry period and especially 
when it has been hot. 
A good dish of Peas should not show a trace of 
rubbing on the pods, and should be just filled and at 
their best for cooking. The pods should also be as 
dark green as possible ; but the feeding and manure, 
especially in the case of those that have been 
stopped, will make them perfect in that respect. 
Duke of Albany is universally acknowledged to be 
the most handsome and best Pea for exhibition ; but 
there are many others that run it very hard, and I 
think Sutton's Exhibition Marrowfat is one of those. 
(To be continued). 
--» ■ - 
Onions. —The first and principal sowing of these 
should be made in the course of another week. It 
is not usual to take so much pains in the preparation 
of the ground as for the spring-sown crop. The 
spot selected should be open to the sun; and the 
