464 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
March 21, 1896. 
HINTS FOR AMATEURS. 
Early Spring Flowers. 
Although the beauty of the Snowdrop is well nigh 
over, only the latest forms remaining in anything 
like condition, we almost forget to bewail its absence 
in the cheering view of the numbers of other pretty 
hardy plants that are thrusting their beauties upon 
us in no grudging spirit. The Saxifrages, of course, 
are very much in evidence, and many of the most 
beautiful of our early spring flowers belong to this 
genus. 
S. oppositifolia. —Who that knows does not love 
this pretty Alpine, with its prostrate creeping stems 
that cover the stones of the rock-garden as with a 
carpet. The bright purple flowers are expanding 
somewhat earlier this year than usual, for during 
ordinary seasons we have to wait until April before 
seeing it in its glory. There are several varieties of 
it in cultivation, all of which are well worth growing. 
Perhaps one of the best-known of these is S. o. 
splendens which has flowers so large as to seem out 
of all proportion to the size oi the plant. 
S. burseriana. —This is of an entirely different 
habit to the fore-mentioned plants, and grows in 
tufts of little rosettes densely packed together, and 
little more than an inch in height. The flowers are 
about half an inch in diameter, milk-white in colour, 
and lined with yellowish nerves. The petals are 
nearly round with slightly curled edges. The 
flowers of S. b. major are even larger than those of 
the type, and produced on peduncles from an inch 
and a half to two inches in height. In habit the 
plant is the same as the type, although it may be if 
anything a trifle more vigorous. The leaves are 
prettily ciliated, and are in themselves very 
ornamental. 
S. Aizoon. —Here, again, we have an instance of 
the effect of the mild winter upon plant life generally. 
This species at ordinary times does not think of 
flowering so soon as this. During the past week, 
however, we have noticed batches of it flowering in 
sheltered parts of the rockery at Kew, and it forms a 
charming contrast to the other Saxifrages now in 
bloom. The flowers are sulphur-yellow in colour, 
produced in many-flowered scapes two or three 
inches in height. This plant is sometimes met with 
under the name of S. intacta. 
S. Stracheyi, or as it sometimes called, 
Megasea Stracheyi, is very different from the other 
forms we have mentioned, and admirably illustrates 
the wide range of habit and st> le of growth exhibited 
amongst the numerous members comprised in the 
genus. The flowers are bright pink in colour, pro¬ 
duced in many-branched slightly-drooping panicles, 
which are clothed with glandular hairs. It was 
brought from the Western Himalayas in 1851. 
S. S. alba tells its own tale as to its difference from 
the type. The petals, moreover, in addition to their 
whiteness, are not quite so spreading as in the 
species. 
Erythronium dens-canis.- It is a pity that the 
Dog’s-tooth Violets, to give them their popular name, 
are not more extensively grown than they are. No 
matter whether they are planted in the grass or in 
beds or niches amongst the stones in the rockery 
they always give a good account of themselves. 
Seven species are included in the genus. Most of 
them, however, are confined to North America. 
One only, the subject of our remarks, is dispersed 
through Europe, and Asiatic Russia right away to 
Japan in the far East. The flowers of this species 
are usually purplish-rose, although they vary greatly 
in colour according to the locality in which they are 
grown, some of them exhibiting but little of the rose 
tint, and closely approaching to white. The leaves 
are also very attractive with their heavy purple- 
brown and white mottlings. They will grow very 
well in almost any light soil, although they prefer a 
mixture of loam and peat to anything else. A 
sheltered portion of the rockery should also be given 
them. They look much better when planted in 
clumps together than they do when isolated 
specimens are dotted here and there in the her¬ 
baceous border. They make a capital edging for 
such a border, however, and they might with advan¬ 
tage be utilised for inserting in fairly open spaces in 
thinly-planted shrubberies. In this case growth is 
fairly well advanced before the leaves of the over¬ 
hanging shrubs get thick enough to do much damage 
to the foliage. The best time to conduct planting is 
after growth has been completed for the season, and 
the foliage has died down. The bulbs may be buried 
about three inches below the surface. After they 
have once become established they give but exceed¬ 
ingly little trouble beyond an annual top-dressing 
with rich light soil. Propagation is easily performed 
by removing the offsets which vigorous plants produce 
very freely. 
Scillas. —These are a host in themselves, and 
will compare most favourably with any of the other 
spring flowers for beauty and vividness of colouring. 
Both S. bifolia and S. sibirica are great favourites. 
Whether naturalised in the grass or planted in 
clumps in the rock or herbaceous gardens, they are 
always beautiful and always appreciated. Of course 
S. sibirica is blessed (?) with a number of names, as 
for instance, S. amoena sibirica, S. amoenula, and S. 
uniflora. 
Chionodoxa is a much smaller genus than Scilla, 
as it comprises only three species. Of these 
C. Luciliae the popular Glory of the Snow, is the 
best known. The name presumably has reference 
to the native habitats of the Chionodoxas, where 
they expand their delicately-hued flowers amongst 
the melting snows, and all regardless of their wintry 
surroundings. There is a white-flowered variety in 
cultivation, but it possesses no particular merit other 
than that of mere variety. C. nana is a little gem, 
and as the specific names signifies very dwarf in 
habit; indeed, it is barely four inches in height. 
The flowers are usually lilac in colour, occasionally 
white and disposed in relatively large many- 
flowered umbels. It was introduced from Crete 
about the year 1879—that is, some two years after C. 
Luciliae. Chionodoxas should not be disturbed too 
frequently. The bulbs maybe taken up and replanted 
every three or four years with advantage, so as to 
prevent the clumps from getting too much crowded, 
but nothing like an annual upsetting must be 
attempted. The same soil that will suit the Scillas 
will answer also for Chionodoxas. 
Anemone Hepatica. —In many gardens, Hepatica 
is regarded as distinct from Anemone, but the fiat of 
the botanist has gone forth, and our Hepaticas are 
so no longer, but Anemones. The flower of the type 
is blue, but there are numerous varieties which 
exhibit a considerable range of colour in their 
flowers. A few of the most distinct of these are A. 
H. alba, white; A. H. caerulea, blue; A. H. 
Barlowi, red, extra large ; and A. H. rubrum, red. 
There are double-flowered forms of A. H. 
caerulea, and A. H. rubrum. The former 
however, although very showy, is somewhat 
scarce. Nothing can be more charming than a 
collection of these beautiful Anemones, and as they 
are all easy of cultivation, no great difficulty need be 
met with in adding such a feature to the garden. 
These also should be grown in clumps, composed 
either of one variety or of several together, when 
they may be left undisturbed for several years with¬ 
out any fear of harm. In such cases seedlings will 
often be observed coming up among the parent 
plants, and one or two fresh shades of colour may 
thus be supplied.— 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. 
Replies.—Cats again ! “ What a nuisance they are,” 
writes Honestas, and most of our readers in urban 
and suburban districts will fain agree with him. 
Having exhausted all his stock of old boots in the 
vain attempt to keep his neighbour's cat (it is 
always the neighbour's cats that do the mischief), off 
the beds in his front garden last year, our friend 
does not feel disposed to plant flowering plants for 
various and sundry grimalkins to have the pleasure 
of stalking over. He asks for a suggestion as to 
what to plant, and how to plant it. Ivy would suit 
as well as anything. It grows almost anywhere, 
takes but little looking after, and looks green at all 
times. By getting a few stumps of trees and a 
quantity of clinkers (the latter can be obtained free 
gratis, and for nothing at most gasworks), and 
disposing these so as to form irregularly shaped 
mounds for the Ivy to ramble over, a very pretty 
effect may be obtained. 
Certainly, E. B. and IV. Manton, Ivy has its merits 
as a climber for walls, but it has its demerits like¬ 
wise. The ch'ief of them is that it looks rather 
monotonous, as it keeps the same colour the whole 
of the year round. As for the aerial roots or suckers 
destroying the wall that is all ‘‘bunkum,” as 
Jonathan would say. Any little injurious effect they 
might have towards demoralizing the wall might 
certainly amount to something in a nine hundred and 
ninety-nine years’ lease, but for ordinary mortals 
such a far-away period will neither know nor interest 
us. 
Evidently “ lawns ” are things of beauty and joys 
for ever, for here are three or four correspondents 
who want to know something about them. Constant 
Reader (pleased to see you), does not possess one, a 
defect that he intends to remedy as soon as possible. 
Do we advise him to lay turf or to sow seed ? The 
former, of course ; for it is the quickest, and usually 
the most satisfactory. To sow seed means first of all 
that you have to wait some time for results. It may 
also mean that the atmosphere in your neighbour¬ 
hood, friend Constant Reader, maybe strongly impreg¬ 
nated with sulphur when you see Dandelions, Docks, 
Thistles, and various other beautiful but rather 
erratic weeds, coming up on your lawn, in seemingly 
endless profusion. If you do sow seed, get it from a 
trustworthy source. You may lay your turf as soon 
as you like, the sooner the better, and you, also, A.B. 
Now for your moss, Sandy. There are two principal 
causes for the presence of moss—viz., inefficient 
drainage and poor soil. In your case it would appear 
to be due to poverty of the soil. Choose a dry day 
and rake the surface of the lawn well over with a 
small-toothed iron rake. This will loosen a great 
deal of the moss. A top-dressing of Fowlers’ Lawn 
Sand may then be given, or if you want a home¬ 
made but none the less effective specific, try the 
following :—six bushels of soot, a similar quantity of 
wood ashes and 1 cwt. of fine bone meal, mixed well 
together. This would be sufficient for a lawn forty 
square rods in extent. You may also follow this 
advice, J. Stopford, to get rid of the moss you com¬ 
plain of. All lawns should be well rolled in the spring¬ 
time before the mowing machine is put to work upon 
them. Certainly you need not roll if you would like 
to try to see how amusing it is to pick out stones and 
sticks that have become wedged in between the 
knives of your machine. 
Now here's a straightforward question from H 
Howell: “ Is it necessary to pick the male flowers off 
Cucumber plants ? A friend of mine who is a very good 
amateur gardener tells me it is.” This is an operation 
of but second-rate importance, although we are 
aware that it is practised to a considerable extent. 
For plants which are expected to fruit in the winter 
months, it is an advantage to pick off the male 
blooms, as the plants are somewhat strengthened 
thereby; but during the summer months they usually 
grow strongly enough without this attention. For a 
frame Cucumber, J. R., you will do well to pin your 
faith to Rollinson's Telegraph. Although of some 
year’s standing this variety has 5 et to be beaten for 
its all-round excellence. The frame you mention as 
measuring 6 ft. in length by 4 ft. 6 in. in width, may 
be turned to very good account for Cucumber grow¬ 
ing. Make up a hot-bed of leaves and stable manure 
at least 4 ft. in height and place the frame on the 
top. R., Maida Vale, says he has not the chance of 
procuring the materials to make a hot-bed of the 
kind that he has seen recommended for Cucumbers 
in various gardening papers, and asks if there is any 
variety that is fairly good eating and yet does not 
require any artificial heat to get it to do well. 
Stockwood Ridge is an exceedingly hardy variety and 
is likewise very good eating unless its fruits are 
much exposed to the sun when they acquire a 
rather bitter taste. You may also try this \ariety, 
B., for growing in the open air. Towards the end of 
May dig out holes about 1 ft. in depth and fill these 
up with stable manure, laying the soil on the top of 
this. On the ridge or mound thus formed, the plants 
may be planted. They should be covered, however, 
for a week or two with small handlights, or large 
bell glasses. These may be removed once a start 
has been made. 
Faulty Tulips.—I have this year tried to grow a 
number of Tulips in pots, but I am far from being 
satisfied with them. The flowers are poor and 
flimsy, and the segments curl at the edges. Can you 
tell me the reason ?— X. Y. 
To be able to give you a really satisfactory answer 
we-should want to see plants. From your descrip¬ 
tion it is more than possible that ) ou have been over- 
