February 15, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
377 
commenced to grow them for the first time. He had 
planted his bulbs in a cold and retentive soil ; hence, I 
think, in a large measure the failure he had to deplore. 
— R. D. 
Carnations. 
It is not at all uncommon for Carnations to lose the 
point of their leading shoots when iu the open ground 
all the winter, and those in pots sometimes suffer in 
this way ; but accidents of this nature are reduced to 
a minimum when the plants are wintered in a cold 
frame resting on an ash bottom. I think the principal 
cause of this decay is owing to wet resting in the leaf 
axils. When, in consideration of this fact, florists pot 
up their rooted layers in autumn, and give them the 
of eyes, and from these issue growths which can be 
made into cuttings. If only a few plants of each sort 
be required, then the taking off of cuttings need not 
be commenced until the first week in March ; and for 
this reason, for not only are the first shoots that are 
put forth hollow, or what the Dahlia-growers term 
“ pipey,” and therefore difficult to root, and when 
rooted, of doubtful value ; but it is found, in practice, 
that some trouble is experienced in preventing early- 
struck plants from becoming stunted, and therefore it 
is a good method to destroy the early produced 
cuttings for a time. In taking them off, care should 
be taken not to cut below the lowest eye, or the chance 
of getting more from that point is lost. In nurseries 
like the Royal Nurseries, at Slough, where propagation 
pots until they are in 32’s, and if these be put out in 
the open the first week in June, they soon get into 
flower.— R. D. 
-- 
BIGNONIA TWEEDIANA. 
We have been favoured with specimens of this hand¬ 
some climber by a correspondent who evidently is 
unaware of the fine subject he possesses, and that it 
may be grown in a much lower temperature than that 
in which he has got it, namely, that of a stove. Many 
climbers are exceedingly accommodating, and may be 
grown in a stove or greenhouse with equal facility, 
including several species of Bignonia. Others again, 
although they may be flowered in either the one or 
the other, show a decided preference for one. B. 
Bignonia Tweediana. 
protection of a cold frame, they are told by would-be 
advisers that they are coddling the plants in heat, and 
thereby ruining their constitutions. Plenty of this 
kind of stuff is written from time to time by those who 
pretend to know all about the Carnation. Plants that 
have lost their leaders need not be thrown away, for if 
they are of valuable and useful varieties, they come in 
viry handy indeed for making stock for layering.— 
R. D. 
Dahlias. 
Anyone who has been successful in wintering a few 
Dahlia roots, and who has a dung or tan bed, or a 
propagating pit in a plant house, can readily obtain 
cuttings by placing the roots in a gentle heat and half 
burying them in a light compost. Round the base of 
the stem of the previous year, there is generally plenty 
has to be commenced early, owing to the large number 
of plants required, the earliest shoots are invariably 
thrown aside, and those that succeed are more wiry, 
and better adapted for cuttings. 
When the cuttings are taken off they should be 
inserted round the sides of pots in a light sandy soil, 
and plunged in a brisk bottom heat. At this season 
of the year, when the days are short and there is an 
absence of solar light and heat, cuttings require five or 
six weeks iu which to root. Towards the end of March, 
when the atmospheric conditions have improved, they 
will root in three or four weeks. As soon as rooted 
they do best when potted singly in thumb pots and 
established in heat, and then they may be gradually 
inured to a lower temperature until thoroughly 
hardened off. As our springs are generally late and 
inclement, it is well to grow on the plants in large 
Tweediana is a native of Buenos Ayres, from whence 
it was introduced in 1838. Like many others, seeds 
get sent home from time to time by correspondents 
and friends abroad who are charmed with its magni¬ 
ficent display of flowers. Our correspondent’s plant 
will give greater satisfaction in future years when it 
gets thoroughly established and produces more bearing 
wood, as is shown by our illustration. It will also 
flower later in the year when established and making 
a smaller amount of annual increment. The lateral 
shoots produce flowers from the axils of the previous 
year’s leaves as in B. speciosa, B. purpurea and others, 
so that no yiruning should be done until after flowering 
is over, except when necessary to thin out the shoots 
where too numerous, and liable to unduly obstruct 
light from reaching the plants beneath during the dull 
winter season. This, however, is less necessary in the 
