March 1, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
409 
to be rejected because it cannot support its own stem 
■without the aid of a stake, we should have to throw 
away a great deal that is beautiful and useful, which 
seedling raisers cannot afford to do.— R. D. 
-- — 
CARLUDOVICA ELEGANS. 
The Carludovicas when exhibited at flower shows are 
frequently but erroneously regarded as Palms, and we 
have known instances where C. palmata being exhibited 
in a class from which Palms were excluded, has nearly 
led to disqualification, so little do the majority of 
judges know about the genus. They are all dwarf¬ 
growing subjects, and certainly greatly resemble Palms 
in their foliage, but are really the New World repre¬ 
sentatives of the Old World species of Paudanus. The 
Palm-like resemblance particularly applies to the 
grows as vigorously as a Pandanus or Palm, and a Well- 
furnished specimen is more graceful than some of the 
Palms of similar habit. It may also be grown for exhi¬ 
bition purposes with good e fleet in the same way as 0. 
palmata and C. Drudei. Suckers are sent up from the 
base, which may be used for propagating, or if a large 
specimen is desired the suckers aid much in giving a 
finished appearance to the whole by covering the 
petioles of the longer leaves. Some of the Cailudovieas 
are largely employed upon the Continent for sub¬ 
tropical gardening. 
-- 
PEACH BUGS DROPPING. 
I have read with much interest the remarks of your 
correspondents upon Peach trees dropping their buds, 
and with which I generally agree, but should like to 
A SUBSTITUTE FOR FLOWER 
POTS. 
Having to work up large quantities of bedding plants 
every year, including 500 of Chrysanthemum frutescens, 
and flowers pots being scarce, I knew not what plan to 
adopt with them. I tried growing them in boxes, but 
owing to the great check the plants receive in trans- 
feriing them from the boxes to the borders, and the 
labour entailed in watering them in dry weather until 
established, the plan did not prove satisfactory or 
desirable, and I was led to adopt a system last year which 
proved so satisfactory, that if all the potteries in the 
country were at my disposal, I would not now discard 
it for pots. As there are doubtless many other 
gardeners, like myself, not blessed with a superfluity of 
pots during the spring months, it may be an advantage 
to some who grow Paris Daisies if I describe the system, 
at once, and in June if the soil round the plants can 
be gently drawn away, taking care not to injure the 
roots, and a top-dressing of rich soil added, the plants 
will be greatly benefited. Staking must be carefully 
attended to if the bed is to present to view an uniform 
appearance, though if a goodly number of seedlings are 
planted out, it is somewhat difficult to do this, as it 
entails a good deal of labour. 
We sometimes hear of Carnation plants of such 
strong erect growth that the flower stems will stand 
erect without stakes. I think that in most cases these 
are ideal rather than real plants, and if any seedling is 
subject of this note, C. elegans, a native of South 
America, sent out last year by Messrs. B. S. Williams 
& Son, of Holloway. 
The leaves have long petioles, and the rich green 
lamina is divided to the base into four, or in vigorous 
specimens to five lobes or divisions, which are again cut 
into numerous, long, finger-like segments. The petioles 
rise nearly straight, while the lamina arches gracefully, 
and both are destitute, or nearly so, of the spines and 
prickles so frequently developed on species of Pandanus 
as to constitute a great source of annoyance to those 
handling them. The plant requires stove treatment, and 
add a few words. Although the buds dropping in 
spring may possibly result from other causes, I firmly 
believe that in nine cases out of ten it is due to dryness 
at the root at some period or other during the previous 
season’s growth ; at least this is the conclusion 1 have 
arrived at after a long experience and observation, not 
only in my own practice but also in that of others. 
The roots should at no time be allowed to become dry, 
not even in winter, or it will soon tell upon the buds. 
It takes an enormous amount of water to saturate the 
border ; surface waterings will not do. When 1 take 
in hand to water thoroughly fruit borders, of whatever 
description, I take at least a week to do it, giving liberal 
soakings every day, because I know one or two waterings 
will not saturate every particle of soil. 
Those who have had much experience will know that 
if a piece of ground at all dry is copiously watered over 
night, and examined the next morning, it will be found 
to have penetrated but a very little way, but such will 
not be the case by giving liberal successive waterings 
at different periods. These remarks not only apply to 
the time of the buds swelling and of fruit stoning, 
but also during the process of ripening the wood, at 
which latter period it is necessary to give all the air 
possible night and day. In two places where I under¬ 
took the charge of the gardens I found trees dropping 
their buds in consequence of the hot-water pipes being 
laid in the ground close to the roots of trees, but upon 
opening the pipes to the air to let off the dry heat the 
difficulty ceased, and such I have found to be often the 
case in the connections of hot-water pipes between one 
house and another. 
It is certainly far better not to put plants of any 
description into reach and Nectarine houses at any 
time, and it is wise not to recommend such a course ; 
but we have often no choice in the matter, and must 
make the best of it. When it must be done, a choice 
can be made of those p’ants which will not in any way 
injure the trees. In some places enormous quantities of 
Chrysanthemums are iequired for conservatory deco¬ 
ration and cutting, and, as it happens, we are compelled 
to house them at a season of the year when we have to 
take in all our tender plants. If we can make choice 
of the earlier-flowering varieties, which will not require 
to have a close house to forward them, then no great 
harm can result. Again, we may put quantities of 
bedding Pelargoniums, and others of the hardier plants 
which may have an abundance of air through the 
winter, and which will not require much water, on low 
stages, temporarily knocked up, that all the air possible 
can get to the border without injury to the trees. Of 
course, no one who has any claim to be considered a 
gardener would so house his Chrysanthemums in 
Peach houses as to smother his trees, or to put such 
tender plants into his house as would interfere with 
the wood-ripening process ; if so, dire consequences 
would be the result.— Alfred Gaut, The Gardens, 
Berwick, Shrewsbury. 
Cakludovica elegans. 
Allow me to compliment Mr. Kipling on his eminently 
practical remarks on this subject (p. 391), every word 
of which I can fully endorse. I consider the thanks of 
all Peach growers, and of young ones especially, are due 
to him for his able statement of the case. I have, in 
practice, repeatedly proved the correctness of his ideas 
regarding the primary cause. The contributory causes 
are frequently given by writers as the primary one, 
but Mr. Kipling has gone to the root of the matter. 
As regards crowding Peach houses with “Mums’’and 
other plants, it is with many of us a necessary evil, which 
w T e cannot dispense with, but happily—other things 
properly attended to—it is not the cause of bud-casting. 
—John Roberts, The Gardens, Tan-y-Bwlch. N. Wales, 
