800 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
August 15,1896, 
IMS FOR 'AMATEURS. 
Mildewed Grapes. — In vineries that are not 
furnished wiih much heatiDg apparatus, the leaves 
are almost sure to get a touch of mildew as the 
summer wears on. The spell of comparatively dull 
and cold weather that has lately visited us, coming 
as it has done after a period of well-nigh tropical 
heat, is very favourable to the development of the 
fungus, especially where ventilation is not attended 
to with great caution. During cold periods the 
greatest attention should be given to airing. The 
houses need not be kept close and stifling, but 
draughts must be studiously avoided. Those who 
know from experience what a lot of harm mildew 
does, and how difficult it is to get rid of it once it gets 
a footing, will understand the urgent necessity for 
caution. If care and attention can prevent it from 
attacking the plants then no trouble or pains should 
be spared. Once it gets into a house there is very 
little chance indeed of getting rid of it, at least, this 
season. Something may be done in cases where 
there is plenty of hot water piping laid on, by getting 
the water quite hot and rubbing flowers of sulphur 
upon the pipes. The house must be kept closely 
shut up for several days during this treatment. The 
pest may be checked considerably by this method, 
but it must not be continued too long or the vines 
will suffer. 
We should not recommend this plan of combating 
mildew to amateurs, for in the first place the small 
houses are seldom fitted with sufficient piping to 
enable it to be effective. Again the ’prentice hand 
will be just as likely to cripple his vines past recovery 
as he will be to kill the mildew. 
The best thing to do is to keep a bright lookout 
for the first white spots which make their appearance 
upon the upper or lower surfaces of the leaves, the 
lower usually, and as soon as any of these are 
observed, to sponge the affected leaves with a strong 
solution of soft soap. We do not pretend that this 
will annihilate the mildew, because it is scarcely 
possible to do that by any outward application, but 
it will at least keep it at bay and prevent it from 
spreading rapidly. The mycelium of the fungus 
which may be regarded as the equivalent of the 
roots of the higher plants is permeating the inner 
tissues and robbing the cells of their vital sap. The 
white spots are really the fructification of the plant 
which is only produced when a fairly advanced stage 
is reached, just as an Apple tree produces its fruit in 
the autumn after a spring and summer's growth. 
The soft soap remedy if persisted in will greatly 
assist in checking the spread of the fungus, and the 
crop of Grapes may be able to ripen off well after 
all. 
Dahlias.—Already these have made an appearance 
upon the show boards at various exhibitions, although 
the season is yet young for them. In another two 
or three weeks, however, they will once more be in 
the enjoyment of their brief season of beauty. The 
plants are rather dwarfer this year, although where 
means has been found to give them an occasional 
drink this will not matter much. Now is the time 
to apply liquid manure if any is obtainable. Attend 
to the staking and tying of plants that are in need of 
support. 
Exhibition Blooms —If the cultivator is desirous 
of obtaining blooms that shall be up to show standard, 
a little udicious thinning of the shoots and flower 
buds will be required. The weaker side shoots and 
the small flower buds should be pinched out at an early 
stage before they rob the plants to any great extent. 
Plants which are only required for ordinary purposes 
will be better let alone, as the bushier they get the 
more flowers will there be, and a large quantity of 
medium sized or even small flowers is more service¬ 
able than two or three extra large ones for they 
come in handier for cutting, and the general effect 
produced by the plants as they stand is much 
superior. 
Earwigs. —These are always a nuisance, but at 
this time of the year they become very numerous 
and destructive. A watchful eye must be kept upon 
their movements now, for as the buds begin to open 
they will be sure to make a set at them. The traps 
that have been set for them must be looked over 
frequently if the numbers are to be kept down. Any 
old boxes, pots, or rubbish of any kind, that may be 
close, afford a convenient harbourage of which the 
little pests will not fail to take advantage. Nothing 
of this kind should be allowed to lie about, therefore. 
Suckers from Rose Bushes. —Standard Roses 
especially are very fond of throwing up suckers from 
the base. These must be removed before they get 
any size, or they will rob the Roses of a good deal of 
nutiiment. They should be cut off below the surface 
of the soil, and if the sucker is observed to be 
springing up at some distance from the main stem a 
portion of the thick root may be pulled up with it. 
Fuchsias out of Flower. —The Fuchsias that 
commenced to flower early in the season will now be 
getting rather shabby, in which case they may be 
taken out of the conservatory and stood out of doors 
in some quiet corner out of harm's way. No manure 
water should be given them, but plenty of clear 
water for the next few weeks at least. They will 
likely continue to produce a few straggling flowers, 
and these may be cut to fill vases and flower stands 
within doors. 
Early Chrysanthemums —A few plants of such 
varieties as George Wermig and Madame Des- 
granges come in very useful for the conservatory 
from the middle of August onwards, as there is a 
dearth of showy plants of medium size about this 
time. As soon as the flowers on the plants begin to 
open they should be taken under glass, or to some 
place where they can be shaded, otherwise the hot 
sun will considerably shorten the life of the blooms. 
The giving of manure water should be conducted 
with a great deal of caution at this stage, and when 
the flowers are fairly well ^developed should cease 
entirely. 
Lifting Plants. —Where some of these early 
Chrysanthemums have been planted out in the open 
ground, some of them, if desired, may be lifted, 
potted up, and brought into the conservatory. To 
do this successfully some little care is requisite. 
The roots should be disturbed as little as possible, 
and hence the plants must be lifted with good balls 
of earth attached. Work the soil well round the 
sides of the pots, but do not ram it firmly. The 
great point is the shading of the plants. They must 
be shielded from the direct rays of the August sun, 
otherwise they will soon hang out signs of distress. 
After about a week they will begin to stiffen up and 
will then not need quite such close shading 
Show and Regal Pelargoniums —The later 
batches of plants will now have their wood 
sufficiently matured to warrant their being cut back 
in the manner described a few weeks previously. 
Do not deluge these cut back plants with water, but 
stand them in a cold frame and sprinkle them with 
the syringe twice a day to assist them to break into 
fresh growth.— Rex. 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
A nyone may give additional or more explanatory answers 
to questions that have already appeared. Those who desire 
their communications to appear on this page should write 
"Amateurs' Page " on the top of their letters. 
Carpet Bed.—The above is an illustration of the 
“ butterfly " design you asked for Dianthus. The 
undermentioned plants will be very suitable for 
putting in the respective places indicated by the 
figures:—i, Mesembryanthemum cordifolium varie- 
gatum; 2, 3, 4, Coleus Verscbaffeltii; 5, 5, 6 , 6, 
Alternanthera paronychoides, or A. amoena; 7, 7, 
Cerastium tomentosum; 8, 8, Lobelia pumila 
magnifica; 10, 10, Herniaria glabra; 11, n, 
Pyrethrum Golden Feather ; 12, Sedum glaucum; 
13, Echeveria secunda glauca. Sedum glaucum and 
Herniaria glabra are both perfectly hardy. Pj re- 
thrum Golden Feather may be raised easily each 
year from seed sown in the spring. The Alteman- 
theras and Coleus Verscbaffeltii are the tenderest 
subjects of all, and will require the temperature of 
an intermediate house to carry them safely through 
the winter. 
The Double Jew’s Mallow is a name commonly 
given to Kerria japonica flore pleno, IV. N. It 
flourishes in an ordinary loamy soil, and would do 
very well trained over your doorway. It will need 
to be nailed to the wall, or tied to wires. 
Carnations from Cuttings —In your Amateurs' 
Page I would feel much obliged if you would clearly 
intorm me how to succeed with Carnations from the 
cuttings or pipings stating time to insert, etc. It is 
sometimes impossible to get enough layers putdowD, 
and I would be very glad if I could increase my 
plants by cuttings, J. B. W. 
You will find that propagating Carnations by 
cuttings is a somewhat difficult task unless you have 
a little bottom heat at command. Without this the 
pipings form roots very slowly, and the chances are 
that the percentage of resulting plants will be very 
low. If you have,, a propagating frame standing 
upon hot water pipes from which a gentle bottom 
may be obtained, well and good. You may then 
plunge the cutting pots up to the rims in cocoanut 
fibre refuse or leaf soil. If you have no propagating 
frame we should advise you to build a small hot-bed, 
plunge the cutting pots upon the top of it, and cover 
with a hand-light. The cuttings may be taken from 
small side growths, and may be inserted five or six 
in a 60 size pot. Drain the pots well and use light 
sandy soil. Shade from hot sun, and water care¬ 
fully. We should advise you to get your cuttings 
in as soon as possible, so as to give them a chance of 
getting rooted before winter. 
Doable Begonia. —The flower you send us, Excise¬ 
man, is a large flower certainly, but it is by no means 
the best type, and rather coarse. A few years ago it 
would have passed muster, but of late a great deal of 
improvement has been registered, and we have by no 
means reached the end of the tether yet. 
Tomatos failing to set - -You will see an answer 
to your question on p. 758, Camm. Complaints of 
this kind are very general this year. 
Sketch of Plant. —Taking the facts of the case into 
consideration, and judging by the sketch you send us, 
Amateur, we believe your plant is Yucca gloriosa. 
We could tell you more definitely if you send us a 
leaf. Twenty-five years is a good age If you have 
a greenhouse, you could take oft the suckers now 
and pot them firmly in light, sandy soil. If you 
Butterfly Design for Carpet Bed. 
