April 5, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
491 
the larger source. The media by which this nourish¬ 
ment is taken up are the rootlets and leaves, and the 
process is termed absorption. Let us carefully note that 
it is not the large root by which water and other liquid food 
is taken up from the earth, but the small rootlets and 
fibres ; hence we see how necessary it is when trans¬ 
planting to avoid injury to these small organs, or the 
plants will wither or die, according to the extent of the 
injury done. 
On examination of one of these rootlets we find a 
wonderful provision of nature in the shape of a cap or 
sheath situated at the extremity, thereby acting as a 
protector to the end of delicate rootlets when pushing 
their way further into the soil; and it is not at the 
extreme end, but just within this sheath that the 
liquids are absorbed. It would also seem that, to a 
certain extent, plants are gifted with the power of 
selecting their food from the soil, and it is on this 
theory that the principle of rotation of crops is based. 
One authority on this point says. “Take for instance that 
which requires more especially for its growth a full 
supply of silica and phosphates ; it will consequently 
only flourish in a soil containing the necessary amount 
of these substances. As growth proceeds these salts 
are absorbed in a state of solution by the roots, and are 
applied to the requirements of the plant. When the 
crop is ripe and removed, all these salts will be removed 
with them, and as a consequence the soil will not 
contain a sufficient proportion of these salts to support 
immediately the same species of plant ; but by 
growing in such soil a crop of an entirely different 
nature, such as Clover, Beans, or Peas, which require 
different substances for their nutrition, we can obtain 
a profitable crop, while, at the same time, certain 
chemical changes go on in the soil. 
Other ingredients are taken up from the atmosphere, 
and in other ways, by means of which the land is 
again adapted for growing Wheat. The absorption of 
fluid food by the root is dependent upon a very simple 
but important law of nature, which is termed Osmosis. 
The liquid in the plant is considerably denser than the 
watery fluid before it is absorbed, hence the carrying 
out of this law and provision is made by a system of 
transpiration through the leaves to maintain this 
condition, so that, provided the plant is in a healthy 
state, a constant current is kept up during daylight. 
The sap consists simply of water containing salts in 
solution, and in this state it is useless as a source of 
nutrition to the plant, and thus it remains until it 
reaches the leaf, where most important changes are 
effected, as we shall shortly see. Leaves are furnished 
with pores, by means of which the excess of water is 
given off, thereby thickening the sap, which, coming 
in contact with various gases absorbed by the leaves, a 
regular chemical action takes place, resulting in the 
formation of starch and nitrogenous matters, which 
thus renders the sap capable of supporting the life and 
assisting the growth of the plant ; hence we see that 
the leaves are the main factors in converting a useless 
liquid into the necessary means of support, and that 
without leaves or other similar green organs no growth 
to any extent could take place. Seeing then what an 
important position they occupy in the economy of 
plants, let us for a few moments look more closely into 
their functions. ( To be continued.) 
BEE KEEPING. 
In your issue of March 15th, p. 436, I was pleased to 
read your remarks on female apiarians. There is no more 
interesting study for our rural population than is found 
in attending to the honey-bee. Five years ago I was 
induced by a friend to form an apiary, and I do not 
regret it, for, from a financial point of view, I may say 
that I have a substantial balance in hand in favour of 
bee keeping. To those who intend to form an apiary I 
would say lose no time in purchasing hives ; stock 
hives may be got together as late as the end of March, 
provided they are moved from a distance. This in my 
opinion is the safest time to buy stocks, as all fear of 
perishing is at an end. Take care to get good swarms 
of last summer ; they may be known by the combs being 
lighter in colour than in old hives. Having procured 
good swarms, proceed by giving them a south aspect, 
and sheltered from boisterous winds ; place each on a 
separate stand, 3 ft. apart. The resting boards 
should have a gentle slope outwards to prevent damp 
from getting under the hive ; I place my hives near our 
dwelling, as I find it more convenient, especially 
during the swarming period. 
The feeding ground should be near at hand if possible; 
bees will travel long distances for their food, but the 
nearer it is at hand the better will be the results. I 
find the best pasturage in this district is Clover, and 
the flowers of most garden plants. The Hepaticas, 
Crocuses, Mignonette, Wild Thyme, Honeysuckle, Ivy, 
and nearly all summer flowers, are good feeding for bees. 
Trees that supply a necessary nutriment for bees are 
Willows, Horse Chestnut, Lime trees, and most of our 
forest trees, but nothing suits them better than the 
Furze blossom and the wild Heath of our moorlands. 
Supply water if there is no water near your hives, and 
above all, keep everything tidy and clean ; keep away 
all insect pests. Allow no. weeds or long grass to grow 
round your hives, which may entangle the bee on its 
return. Attend to feeding where it is needed ; idleness 
or hanging about the entrance are frequently signs of 
scarcity of food. I am not a believer in handling bees 
too much ; however, the needful must be done, and that 
too at the right time. Under anything like favourable 
conditions, you will never regret becoming a bee keeper, 
and with care and attention you will have a substantial 
increase in your income at the year’s end. 
My object in writing is to try and get our rural 
population to turn their attention more to bee keeping, 
fruit growing on allotments, poultry rearing—all 
profitable occupations, but sadly neglected at the present, 
and I hope brother gardeners will assist by showing a 
good practical example.— J. Charlton, Farnley Grove 
Gardens, Corbridge-on- Tyne. 
-»>3=«»- 
Hardening Miscellany. 
THE CULTURE OF ONIONS. 
The cultivation of the Onion for exhibition and for 
general use has much in common. Young sturdy 
plants raised from seed sown in January, and trans¬ 
planted into boxes, will now have made blades 4 ins. 
to 5 ins. long, and be nearly ready for planting into 
beds diagonally in drills 9 ins. apart. They like a rich, 
deep, well-drained soil that has been well pulverised 
and thoroughly prepared during winter. When 
planting, care should be taken in lifting the young 
plants from the boxes to preserve as much soil about 
the roots as possible. Plant always with a trowel, and 
make the holes sufficiently deep to allow of the roots 
being laid in straight, and press the soil firmly about 
them. 
Want of success must not always be attributed to 
the soil, for in most cases it is due to the cultivator 
himself, who neglects to perform those little attentions 
which are essentially necessary if large bulbs are to be 
produced. When growing, careful staking is required, 
also mulching or feeding with liquid manure, and 
keeping a watchful eye on the Onion-fly. For the 
general crop it is a matter for each individual’s choice 
whether the seeds are sown now in drills or broadcast; 
hut many prefer the latter plan, and thin out according 
to requirements,— B. L. 
Hardiness of .Lilium giganteum in Ross- 
shire. 
In your issue of last week I notice a reply to “M. M.” 
respecting the Lilium giganteum, which I think is 
not quite correct. I live on the west coast of the 
county of Ross, on the shores of Lochbroom, and I have 
had a plant of this Lily outside for five years. The 
first season after it was planted, 1886, it did not flower, 
but made a considerable quantity of foliage. The next 
year it made a stem 9 ft. in length and rather more 
than 4 ins. in circumference, and carried thirteen very 
fine flowers. The year 1888 was not so favourable to 
its growth, and it scarcely attained the same height, 
but bore the same number of flowers. Last year it 
threw up a number of stems, but it seems to require 
two years to perfect the growth. I may say that my 
employer, after seeing it do so well for two seasons, 
bought another bulb in 1888, which I planted in the 
autumn of that year, and to-day it is looking well and 
strong, and likely to make a good spike. It is planted 
at the bottom of a parapet wall having a south-west 
aspect. The flower border, which is a mixed one, is in 
front, and within a hundred yards of the salt water 
loch, but there is a small belt of natural wood growing 
between the garden and the shore. I am experimenting 
a little in acclimatising tender plants, and having a 
large plant of Acacia armata last spring that I could 
not find room for inside, I planted it in the shrubbery 
border. It has stood the past winter very well, and 
looks as if it was going to flower. I gave it no pro¬ 
tection. I had also a plant of the Aloysia citriodora, 
which kept alive through the winter of 1888-89.— 
D. Morrison, gardener to A. G. Pirie, Esq., Leckmelen, 
by Garve, Ross-shire. 
The Prizes for Vegetables at the Reading 
Show. 
Allow me to thank Messrs. Sutton & Sons for their 
communication in your last issue. How that I know 
the space allowed to each exhibitor will be 6 ft. by 
4 ft., I can form a better idea of what quantity of dishes 
will be required, and I shall be more likely to accept 
their kind invitation to become one of the competitors 
for the prizes.— One v)ho would like to Show. 
Befaria glauca. 
The flowers and all parts of this plant bear a strong 
resemblance to those of a Rhododendron. The stems 
vary from 3 ft. to 6 ft. high, but as grown in pots they 
are generally seen about 2 ft. high, densely clothed in 
the upper part with oblong, entire, leathery leaves. The 
flowers are borne in short, terminal racemes ; are seven- 
lobed, openly bell-shaped, and about the size of those of 
Rhododendron priecox. Their colour is a soft, pale 
purple and pleasing to the eye. It is a South American 
plant, from whence most of the other species come. 
There is a flowering specimen in the temperate house at 
Kew. —<*— 
Primula marginata. 
The hardiness and beauty of this little species is such 
that we should expect to see it more frequently grown 
in gardens than is at present the case. It has an un- 
mistakeable appearance of its own by which it may be 
recognised at a glance amongst the numerous species 
now in cultivation. The leaves are obovate, and more 
or less covered with a silvery or sulphur-coloured dust 
in different individuals or according to circumstances, 
and so dense is the farina along the serrated margin 
that it gives a distinctly margined appearance to them, 
as implied in the specific name. The flowers are violet- 
rose in the type, but there is a variety in which the 
rose disappears, and the flowers then have a distinctly 
blue aspect. They are freely produced in April and 
May on plants grown out of doors ; but under the 
protection of a glass structure, they will develop and 
expand in March. The plant is of moderately rapid 
increase by offsets, and from its vigour and hardiness 
seems capable of improvement by hybridisation. 
Tulipa Kaufmanniana. 
The typical form of this species has bright yellow 
flowers, more or less tinted with red near the apex 
externally. A variety was exhibited at the Royal 
Botanic Society’s show, on the 26th March, by Messrs. 
Paul & Son, Cheshunt. It came very near T. K. albo- 
variegata, if not identically the same. The segments 
were elliptic-oblong, about 2J ins. long, white on the 
upper portion, yellow on the basal one-third of their 
length, and furnished with a red blotch below the 
middle. They were also tinted with rose externally. 
A Botanical Certificate was awarded it. 
Epiphyllum Russellianum Gsertneri. 
The habit of this plant is similar to that of E. 
truncatum, but the segments or branches of the stems 
are obloug and more rounded at the ends. The flowers 
resemble those of a Cereus in form, are drooping, 
moderate in size, and bright scarlet with numerous 
lanceolate, pointed, radiating petals. It is a garden 
hybrid of unknown origin. A specimen was exhibited 
at the show of the Royal Botanic Society, on the 26th 
March, by Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son, Upper 
Holloway, and received a Floricultural Certificate. 
Saxifraga Sancta. 
The best place for this species is on moderately dry 
well-exposed rockwork, for there it seems to flower 
with tolerable freedom. In shady places and on the 
lower and moister parts of the rockery it grows with 
great freedom, forming a dense deep green carpet, but 
it flowers very sparingly under these conditions. The 
leaves individually are small, lanceolate and aggregated 
in dense rosettes, which become closely packed, entirely 
covering the ground. The flowers are bright yellow 
and aggregated in small closely packed heads borne on 
scapes about 2 ins. high. In the last days of March 
and in April it proves a bright and attractive object 
for the rockery, where it forms a beautiful contrast to 
the purple and white varieties of Saxifraga oppositifolia. 
It was introduced only about ten years ago. 
Trillium discolor atratum. 
When this plant came before the Floral Committee of 
the Royal Horticultural Society on the 25th ult. I voted 
against the Award of Merit on the ground that it was 
a very old plant shown under a new name. I was 
told that the chief claim to recognition lay in the fact 
