410 
THE GARDENING Y\ 7 ORLD. 
March 1, 1890. 
■which is simplicity itself. Strike the cuttings in pots, 
pans or boxes in the ordinary way ; then cut some good 
fibry turves three inches thick and 1 ft. square ; take 
them to the potting bench, laying them grassy side 
downwards, and then with a sharp knife cut them into 
3-in. squares. With a trowel take out a portion 
of the soil from the centre, leaving a rim each side about 
A in. wide. If the soil is taken out 2 ins. deep it will 
be sufficient, this leaving 1 in. at the bottom intact. 
Put a little ordinary potting soil at the bottom, on this 
place the rooted cutting, and fill up to the rim, making 
firm exactly as in ordinary potting, except that no space 
need be left for water. Place the turves close together 
on the floor or border of a vinery or peach house at work, 
give a watering through a rosed can, and in a week or 
ten days the roots will be through the turves. They 
may then be removed to cool houses or frames as 
desired, and if stood close together are always kept 
moist by watering with a rose can. Our plants last 
year were far better than when grown in boxes or even 
in 6-in. pots. Of course, when planted, “pot” and all 
is planted. Some plants we had left last year have been 
in a cold frame all the winter, and one of these I am 
sending for the Editor’s inspection and approval, or 
disapproval of the system. I am not aware if it has 
ever been adopted before, being quite original in the 
mind of —Barnaby Budge. [Wereceived a strong healthy 
plant, which bears ample testimony to the excellence of 
the plan adopted by our correspondent, which, however, 
is not quite a new idea, though not often adopted by 
gardeners or nurserymen, because they cannot get the 
turves. Our correspondent seems to be fortunate in 
that respect, and we should be pleased if all other 
gardeners were equally fortunately situated.— Ed.] 
-- 
CULTURE OF STOVE PLANTS. 
The advent of the spring months once again brings 
with it increased work to be done, and great activity 
will prevail in all departments of gardening. Much 
forethought is, of course, necessary to ensure success, 
and method in working is alike requisite to prevent 
confusion, and therefore delay. When so much 
requires doing, it is well to commence in good time, so 
that it may, to some extent, be equalised. It is, 
however, to stove plants that these few remarks refer, 
and to this end preparations as to the getting ready of 
soils, if not already completed,- should be done at once. 
Dracjenas. 
This highly useful class of plants occupies a prominent 
place in every stove, when used either for house or 
stove decoration. Soil composed of loam, peat, and 
silver-sand will suit them. Leaf-soil may be added, 
together with some charcoal. In potting it is advisable 
not to give too large a shift ; the plants do not like it, 
and there is a tendency for the soil to become sour, the 
roots not absorbing sufficient moisture to prevent it. 
Propagation can be effected by cutting up the stems, 
and by placing the tops in brisk bottom heat. Plants 
with too much stem may be used for this purpose, and 
in a few months a serviceable stock of young plants 
will be obtained. Heat and moisture are necessary for 
the successful culture of the Draerena, and syringing 
during warm weather should be both frequent and 
thorough, getting well under the leaves to dislodge 
insect pests, as well as acting as a preventative. Rain¬ 
water should be used, otherwise the foliage will be 
disfigured. Shading from the sun is also necessary. 
For decorative purposes the narrow-leaved section is 
the best, and the following contain merit for the 
purpose—namely, D. Cooperi, D. G-uilfoylei, D. ama- 
bilis, D. gracilis, D. terminalis, D. angustifolia ; and 
for other purposes, D. Baptistii, D. Goldieana, D. 
Lindeni, and D. magnifica. 
Crotons. 
This useful and ornamental class of stove plants 
deservedly occupies a foremost place on account of their 
decorative value, whether for the table or exhibition. 
Soil composed of loam, peat, and silver-sand will suit 
them admirably, and they should be potted moderately 
firm. Cuttings should be struck now, the tops being 
used for this purpose, which, in bottom heat, will soon 
root, and young plants will soon be obtained. To 
bring all the brilliant colours out to perfection, little 
or no shading is required, and they should be thoroughly 
syringed several times a day in the summer months. 
This will tend to keep in check the thrip, which as 
soon as detected, must be destroyed, as if allowed to 
make headway, soon disfigures a plant, which no after 
treatment can remedy. Dipping in tobacco water has 
been found effectual. Mealy-bug and scale also attack 
them, and should be carefully watched against, as it is 
surprising how rapidly these pests spread. For differ¬ 
ent purposes the following are well-tried sorts, namely, 
C. Queen Victoria, C. angustifolium, C. Johannis, C. 
majesticum, C. AVarrenii, C. Mortii, C. Aigburthense, 
C. Evansianum, C. undulatum, and C. Youngii.— F.B.S. 
MR. COBB'S GARDEN AT 
HOUNSLOW. 
Amongst the more recent additions to the Fellows of 
the Royal Horticultural Society is Mr. J. Cobb, of 
Hounslow, whose pretty place on the Staines Road, and 
not far from the town, always attracts the attention of 
passers-by. Mr. Cobb belongs to a class of which there 
are thousands all round the metropolis, who having 
been successful in trade have retired to spend the 
remainder of their days in the pleasant enjoyment of 
their gardens. It is one thing to have the money, and 
another the love, but Mr. Cobb has both, and he enjoys 
his garden thoroughly, feeling in it the greatest delight, 
and backing up readily every desire shown by his 
excellent gardener, Mr. Smith, to have something fresh, 
or to do what is done, well. 
Just now the beds in the pleasure grounds are full of 
spring flowers, and the show of Polyanthuses will 
presently be a delightful one—in fact, a better one can 
rarely be seen in a private garden. The bold bay 
windows and some of the beds are handsomely dressed 
with small Conifer®, all of which are propagated and 
grown on the place in a very admirable way. High 
Fig trees run up the west and north sides of the house, 
producing wonderful summer crops, and leading to a 
lament that they cannot be covered with glass, but 
some of the growth is probably 25 ft. high. 
The houses at the time of our looking in, none being 
large but all full, were very gay with flowers or filled 
with plants, for outdoor use later or for the furnishing 
of the conservatory which is attached to the residence. 
In these Azaleas, Callas, Deutzias, Camellias, Cyclamen, 
Cinerarias—indeed, hosts of plants were in full bloom, 
forming a perfect bower of flowers. The Arums 
deservedly rank amongst the best we have seen in pots, 
big clumps carrying some five to seven expanded blooms 
each, with others to follow ; grand foliage and the 
blooms a great size. Mr. Smith mentioned that when 
these had done blooming he turned them out of the 
pots, denuded them of all possible soil, and planted 
them out in the open ground, giving them plenty of 
water. The old leafage died down, but other soon 
took its place ; and by the autumn the growth was of 
the finest, the stems stout and robust, and the roots a 
mass of fibre, which were again easily got into the same 
sized pots as those out of which they were turned. 
This practice has been continued for some six or seven 
years with the very best results. 
On a private place we have not seen Cyclamens done 
better than here, the plants being large and literally 
masses of bloom. Every one knows how difficult it is 
to get Cyclamen good when grown amongst other 
plants. Mr. Smith seems, however, to keep his plants 
in low houses until needed for the decoration of the 
conservatory every autumn. He raises his own, and 
has just now in small sixties hundreds of strong young 
plants, all of which will bloom finely next October, and 
onward. 
Calceolarias seem also to be facile in the gar¬ 
dener’s hand. His batch of these—probably 150— 
were as fine, clean, and well grown as may be seen 
anywhere. They are of James’s splendid strain, for 
which that grower has so long been famous, and will 
during April and May present a superb display of 
bloom. “I fumigate a little every fortnight,” said 
Mr. Smith, “and thus keep the fly well down.” 
The plants stand on a trellis stage, up between 
the bars of which the smoke passes freely, thus well 
reaching the undersides of the leaves. Then the 
moisture which rises from the floor also passes 
up through the open staging, so that the plants 
do not find the air so dry as might otherwise be 
the case. To turn out a fine lot of clean herbaceous 
Calceolarias well, is good evidence of gardening 
ability and care, and in this case all possible credit is 
due. 
Some of the small houses are devoted to cool Orchids, 
table and ordinary decorative plants, to bedding plants, 
and to Yines ; for although the place is not large it is 
well furnished. Specially are Begonias and Gloxinias 
grown largely, being raised from seed in quantity, and 
from saved tubers. So admirably do both kinds of 
these beautiful greenhouse flowers come from seed, that 
there is little inducement to save any but tubers of the 
very best varieties. Hundreds of seedling Begonias 
are bedded out in the summer and create brilliant 
effects. 
It is very pleasant to meet with gardens of this 
nature, as they show that a wealth of beauty and of 
enjoyment can be found in those of moderate dimen¬ 
sions, when the desires of an enthusiastic employer are 
supported by a good practical gardener. 
(GARDENING MISCELLANY. 
-*r*- 
The Culture of Mushrooms. 
So much has been written from time to time on the 
cultivation of this much-prized esculent that it may, 
perhaps, appear superfluous to say anything further. 
Still, I am tempted to do so from believing that many 
growers fall into the same error as I used to do, in 
allowing the droppings to become too dry before 
making up the beds. At one time I used to have the 
droppings laid out very thinly in an open shed, and 
kept turned until almost every bit of moisture was 
dried out of them ; but became thoroughly convinced 
that this was wrong practice on visiting a friend in 
"Wiltshire who was growing Mushrooms—and well too— 
in an old disused stone quarry. My friend’s plan was 
to put his droppings in the open air in a mass from 
1 ft. to 2 ft. deep, covered with sheets of corrugated 
iron, and turning the heap over only once or twice a 
week. Since that time I have not wasted so much 
time in getting rid of the moisture, and have had far 
better results. During the present winter, in an un¬ 
heated house, we have had grand crops from beds 
made 2 ft. deep, the soil at times being quite white 
with Mushrooms. I also spawn the beds now while 
much hotter than I used to do, and find it answers 
better, both indoors and out.— Con. 
Acacia linearis. 
Amongst the finer-flowering species of Acacia that 
may readily be utilised for greenhouse culture, that 
here noted is worthy of consideration on account of its 
dwarf, densely bushy and twiggy habit. The leaves 
are reduced to short, linear phyllodia, more or less 
densely covered with hairs. The globose heads of soft 
yellow flowers are freely produced in the axils of these 
phyllodia. For greenhouse culture, it may be grown 
as a bush from 1 ft. to 3 ft. high, and when it gets too 
tall for any given house, it may be hard pruned back 
immediately after it has done flowering, placed in heat 
and encouraged to make vigorous growth, which may 
get ripened before the end of summer, and be ready for 
flowering again the following winter and spring. 
Eriosternon xnyoporoides. 
The typical form of this New Holland shrub has 
linear-linceolate leaves from 1 in. to 1J in. in length. 
The under-surface, as well as the stems, is covered 
with minute wart-like glands, which give to the plant 
a characteristic smell when bruised, just as in the 
Orange, which belongs to the same family. The 
flowers are pinkish or nearly white, and produced in 
axillary cluscers all along the shoots, each peduncle 
bearing from one to three, but generally two flowers. 
There is a variety ia cultivation—namely, E. m. 
minor—which is similar to the type, but smaller in all 
its parts. The leaves are. similar in shape, but very 
short, and the flowers are more often solitary than 
twin on a peduncle, and as plentifully produced as in 
the type. Both are of slow, close, bushy habit, and 
require no pruning beyond shortening back straggling 
shoots. Old and inconveniently large specimens may, 
however, be cut hard back to regain shape and com¬ 
pactness. 
Cydonia japonica virginalis. 
A short time ago I called attention in your columns 
to the value of the above as a plant for growing in a 
cold house. It was at that time getting well into 
bloom, but its exhibition of flower increases as the 
longer days come on. Not only do the flowers stand 
well, but there is a remarkable succession of bloom, 
the buds succeed each other in happy plenteousness, 
and the purity of the whits in the expanded blossoms 
is one of the most attractive features. Prunus Pissardii 
is also in flower—a really charming subject for culture 
in pots in a cold house also. A plant of a bold-foliaged 
male form of Aucuba japonica wiil soon be in bloom 
also. Some choice types of Daffodils and Auriculas are 
fast coming on to succeed them. —R. D. 
Stunner Pippin Apple. 
Now that considerable attention is being devoted to 
Apple culture, I should like to say a word of praise in 
favour of this excellent variety, which I do not re¬ 
member having seen recomm-nded in your columns. 
In making a selection of a dozen, I should always 
include the Stunner Pippin. It is a most excellent 
keeper, a great, or perhaps I ought to say a regular 
cropper, and of excellent flavour. I believe it originated 
from the Ribston Pippin, and the old green loDg- 
