September 21, 1889. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
41 
sufficiently ; consequently the plants are weakly and 
the spikes small, and in wet seasons the lower 
portion of the plants decay, and there is an end to 
further growth. The distance between the plants 
move all in 4J-in. pots that are worth it, and find that 
they make grand stuff in 7^-in. pots. If any of these 
are promising, remove them again into pots about 
10 ins. in diameter. 
supplied with the bones and superphosphate, for which 
I should say Clay’s Fertiliser is an excellent substitute ; 
judging from a few plants that I applied it to. Newly 
potted plants of Mignonette, like many other newly 
potted things, suffer from injudicious watering, and 
many over-dose their plants. If the soil is moderately 
moist at potting time, withhold water for two or three 
days ; and for two or three weeks it must be only 
applied sparingly, as anything approaching a soddened 
condition is most detrimental to the plants. After 
potting, each plant should have a stake to support it, 
which at first need not be very strong nor much higher 
than the plants ; but later on, those in the larger pots 
will need stakes 2 ft. 6 ins. above the pots, inserted at 
such an angle that the tops of those in the outer row 
will be 2 ft. 6 ins. distant. Should the plants not grow 
the length of the stakes, it will be an easy matter to 
shorten the latter, but it is not so easy to exchange 
them for longer ones when the plants are nearly 
full grown. You will have some idea of the size 
they may be grown when I tell you that 1 have had 
spikes 22 ins. long, measuring from the lowest seed 
capsule. 
Feeding the Plants. 
This must be attended to as soon as the pots become 
full of roots, by applying liquid manure every other 
day, that made from cow manure being the best; but 
they do not object to that made from the excrement of 
other animals, and I have given them soot water, 
sulphate of ammonia at the rate of one ounce to the 
gallon, and Clay’s Fertiliser with apparently good 
results. 
Shading. 
From April onwards the plants are benefited by a slight 
shading during the hottest part of the day. Not only 
do the flowers last longer, but the foliage maintains its 
verdure to the end of the flowering stage. 
should not be less than 6 ins., and we have frequently 
thinned them out to 1 ft. apart. 
Culture in Pots. 
Sowings may be made in pots from the middle of July 
to the end of August, according to the time the plants 
are required. The London growers sow in September 
in large quantities to supply Covent Garden Market 
from March to July ; others are sown in February and 
March to come in and succeed them. Half a dozen or 
more seeds are sown in a 48-sized pot covered over with 
fine soil, and the pots are stood close together in low 
pits with lights on. The young plants have all the 
air that can be given them during the winter months, 
except in frosty weather. When I first saw those 
marvellous productions of the London growers, I was 
fairly amazed at the poor result of my own efforts. I 
am, however, of opinion that their greater success is 
due mainly to having suitable structures, such as the 
low pits referred to, and I feel sure it would puzzle the 
most skilful of them to produce such specimens in the 
lofty, ill-ventilated houses which many gardeners have 
to deal with. 
Plants from the July sowing will be nicely in flower 
in March. I use 4^-in. and 6-in. pots, well washed and 
carefully drained, and fill them to within an inch of 
the top with a compost made up of loam, one-sixth 
leaf-soil, and a sprinkling of sand. I sow moderately 
thick, and thin early, but gradually, until they are 
reduced to five or seven plants in a pot, equidistant 
round the sides, with one in the centre. The best 
place for the seed pots is standing on ashes in a frame 
or pit and not too far from the glass, but the lights 
must not be put on except at first to carry a shading 
until the seeds germinate, and later on to protect them 
from heavy rain, too much moisture during their early 
stage being most inimical to them. Until the plants 
are an inch high and a fair number of roots are made I 
allow the surface of the soil to get dry between each 
watering. 
There must be no coddling of the plants, but they 
must be fully exposed to the air, and the lights taken 
off every fine day. It is a common occurrence to see 
plants of Mignonette 2 ins. or 3 ins. high laying on 
their sides, which is solely due to shade or confinement. 
Growers of a few plants will find a shelf near the glass 
in an airy greenhouse a good place for them from the 
end of September onwards, and those intended to 
llower in the pots they are in will need no further 
attention than to be supplied with water, and a few 
sticks supporting a piece of mat run round to keep 
them up. 
Potting. 
For specimens select the best in the smaller or larger 
size pots, and put them into pots 3 ins. larger. I 
Compost. Enemies. 
At each potting, use soil similar to that they were -^-S ^ ar as experience goes I do not know of any 
sown in, only coarser, and add about a tenth of ^-in. besides the slug, which finds the plants out in pots in 
bones, with a sprinkling of bone dust, or superphosphate their early stage^as well as in the open air, and the 
Miles’s Hybrid Spiral Mignonette. 
and soot. Some years ago I conducted an experiment 
with four different mixtures, consisting of the above 
with decayed manure and lime rubbish. I could not 
see any striking difference in the plants, except in those 
humble bee, which is so industrious in fertilising 
the flowers as soon as they are fully developed, 
that in a few days your flowers are converted into seed 
pods. 
