344 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 27, 1894. 
WHAT TO DO IH THE GARDEN. 
Soil for Potting. —Activity in the way of potting 
will soon be general, so that the time has now come 
to make full preparations for it by getting a stock of 
good loam and peat under cover, in order to get it 
sufficiently dry to be workable. In cases where the 
soil is infested with worms, wireworm, or other 
undesirable pests, it is a good plan to place the soil 
upon flues and the top of boilers for some days to 
give it a thorough baking in order to destroy animal 
life in it. Wireworms are very difficult to kill, and 
the drying of the soil may not in all cases effect 
what is intended, but any live ones that are left in 
it can be more readily detected and picked out while 
breaking it up when dry. 
Achimenes.—The tubers maybe picked outofthe 
old soil and placed thickly in pans until they com¬ 
mence to grow, when they should be transplanted to 
their flowering pots at proper distances apart. Finely 
sifted leaf soil, and a small quantity of loam with 
plenty of sand to make it porous and open, will form 
a suitable compost for them. It is usual to employ 
a large quantity of peat or leaf soil in which to start 
them. Indeed either of those materials is made to 
form the staple of the compost. A small batch only 
need be started at present to form an early batch. 
Caladiums and Gloxinias. —Those who have 
not yet started early batches of these things can do 
so now. The best method of procedure is to place 
the pots in heat, leaving the tubers in the old soil 
until they have made a fresh start in growth. Should 
the soil be very dry when placed in heat, a light 
watering may be given, after which sprinkling over¬ 
head with the syringe will be sufficient till some 
growth has been made, in fact till the tubers have 
been repotted in fresh soil and growing again. If an 
over supply of water is given before the tubers com¬ 
mence growth they absorb too much, and instead of 
growing they rot. Give no water at all if the old 
soil is fairly moist to begin with. 
Gleichenias. —Those plants enjoying a mode¬ 
rately high temperature will now be commencing to 
grow or soon will be. Whatever potting requires 
to be done should be accomplished before the young 
growths get interlaced with one another. Use large 
pans or shallow pots, and crock them well as this 
group of ferns keep their roots near the surface. 
Regulate the young growth of the old fronds to 
prevent their getting intricately interlaced, and peg 
down the young rhizomes on the bare parts of the 
soil. 
T ree Ferns. —Specimens of this class of Fernsmay 
be repotted at any time now. In any case it should 
be effected before the young fronds commence to 
expand. A compost that would suit them would 
consist of three-parts of good fibrous peat, and one 
part of equally good loam, with the addition of silver 
sand in sufficient quantity to ensure porosity. If it is 
desirable that the stems should quickly increase in 
length, those kinds at least which throw out roots 
should be bound round with sphagnum from the 
bottom to the base of the leaves, and syringed in 
summer. 
Vine Borders. —In the case of late borders which 
could not be disturbed in the autumn, something can 
now be done in renovating them if it is evident that 
they are exhausted and require renovation. Before 
disturbing them, get together, in a close and handy 
position, a sufficient supply of good turfy loam from 
an old pasture, together with some lime and burnt 
earth and crushed bones. The burnt earth is capital 
material for keeping the soil open. When all is ready 
get all hands together and have the old soil removed. 
In borders that are concreted, the old drainage 
material should be taken out and cleared, or fresh 
drainage put in its place. Having put the drainage 
in position, place some turfs over it, green side 
downwards, and then commence to fill in the fresh 
soil, to within gin. of the top. Then carefully spread 
out the roots at that depth and cover, making the 
whole firm about the roots. 
Roses.— In preparing to plant Roses the soil 
should be well-trenched and manured. Where the 
natural soil is heavy and inclined to clay the most 
suitable manure that could be given is horse manure, 
because being of a light nature it tends to improve 
the texture of the soil. Pig manure on the other 
hand is the most suitable for soils of a light and 
sandy nature. Only the hardier kinds should be 
planted at present, leaving the more tender of the 
hybrid Perpetual Roses till the second week in 
March or thereby, and Tea Roses even later than 
that. 
Hollyhocks.—Those who for one reason or 
another did not secure a sufficient quantity of young 
plants from cuttings during the past summer and 
autumn, can now do so by taking shoots from old 
plants, and placing them in a moderately heated pit. 
Insert them firmly in pots in light sandy soil, and 
give very little water until the plants are rooted. 
Too much moisture causes them to damp off. 
Hardy Fruit Trees.—Push on the pruning of 
wall trees where that work has not yet been accom¬ 
plished, for the buds will commence to swell up 
presently if the mild weather continues. Where 
birds are very troublesome it may be advisable to 
defer the pruning of Gooseberries and Currants till 
later on, but the sooner it can be accomplished with 
safety the better. 
Celery—Those who have a demand for a very 
early supply of Celery can make a small sowing now 
in seed pans, placed in a forcing house. As soon as 
the seedlings are well up they should be removed to 
a cooler house and stood near the glass to prevent 
them becoming drawn. 
-- 
Quescions add AnsroeRS. 
Tomato Disease.— J. Holmes, Junr. : We do not 
suppose that any chemical which you could apply to 
the soil would be of any service ir checking the 
spread of the disease. The secret of the whole thing 
is good cultivation. You do not give us any infor¬ 
mation as to how you are to treat your plants, nor 
under what condiiion you are to grow them, other¬ 
wise we could give you more precise information. 
In any case the atmosphere of the house should be 
kept very dry and moderately cool after the plants 
reach the flowering stage. Ventilate fully and freely 
both at top and bottom of the house to maintain an 
equal temperature throughout. There must be no 
cold draughts from one part of the house rushing 
into a warm house. Tomatos in summer require no 
coddling whatever, and are better without it, even if 
they grow more slowly. If grown in pots they will 
require water and liquid manure occasionally at the 
roots ; but if planted out in good soil that has been 
manured the previous autumn or winter, they require 
hardly any water all the summer after they have 
reached the flowering stage and are making good 
growth. 
Species of Fuchsia, etc. — Bronze: A species of 
Fuchsia or Pelargonium would be plants belonging 
to those genera which have not been improved in 
any way since their introduction to this country. 
That is what the schedule of your society evidently 
means. In the case of Fuchsias we would not 
exhibit any of the fine garden varieties with either 
single or double flowers. F. fulgens which you 
mention is a good species, and so are F. corymbi- 
flora, F. triphylla, F. thymifolia, F; procumbens, F. 
microphylla, F. arborescens, F. coccinea, F. depen- 
dens, F. macrostema, and F. splendens, all of which 
are in cultivation in one garden or another in this 
country. The species of Pelargonium which you 
may be able to secure are more numerous, including 
P. cucullatum, 1 . denticulatum, fragrans, Radula, 
P. zonale, P. peltatum, P. inquinans, P. echinatum, 
P. capitatum, P. quercifolium, P. ardens, P. tomen- 
tosum, and others less common. The last-named, 
together with P. Radula, P. denticulatum, P. 
fragrans, and others, are strongly scented, and if 
well-grown would be telling with the judges. 
Broom Rape on Pelargonium.— . 1 . H. : There is 
nothing unusual in the fact of the Lesser Broom 
Rape (Orobanche minor) growing upon the roots of 
a Pelargonium. We have seen it upon the roots of 
a Pelargonium and upon those of a Pear tree in the 
same garden. In a wild state we have also found it 
upon the roots of a grass (Avena elatior bulbosus), 
on Trifolium pratense, and various other subjects. 
The variety O. minor Hederae, we have found upon 
the Ivy in widely remote localities. Under these 
circumstances we should not be surprised to find it 
on the roots of other exotic plants besides Pelar¬ 
goniums, for our experience leads us to consider 
Orobanche minor as a parasite which can accommo¬ 
date itself to various plants as a means of 
subsistence. 
Names of Plants. — G. Russell: Aspasia epiden- 
droides.— B. L. S. : i. Begonia manicata; 2, 
Eranthemum nervosum (commonly called E. 
pulchellum) ; 3, Begonia angularis ; 4, Reinwardtia 
trigyna; 5, Pteris scaberula.—/. M.: i, Oncidium 
excavatum aurosum; 2, Odontoglossum ramosissi- 
mum ; 3, Cattleya labiata Percivaliana ; 4, Calanthe 
vestita ; 5, Cypripedium concolor; 6, Oncidium 
cheirophorum.— R. C.: Boronia heterophyila. 
Truffles.— Thos. Bradshaw. 1 he specimens you 
send are certainly not the Truffles of commerce, 
and possibly not Truffles at all. The black 
bark of the tubers are quite smooth you will observe, 
and the interior is hollow, white with exception of 
black patches towards the inside of the hollow where 
the spores are situated, and contain a considerable 
quantity of water. The bark of the true Truffle is 
warty, and the flesh solid and variously marbled. 
They occur, as a rule, in eakareous soil under Beech 
trees, sometimes under Oaks, and occasionally near 
Conifers ; but we never heard of them under Lime 
trees. The flesh of the tubers you send is white, 
but so thin that we should hardly consider it worth 
eating, even if not poisonous. They are evidently 
allied to the Truffle family, but we cannot advise 
you to eat them. 
COM.MUNICATIOXS RECEIVED.- A. H. — W. D. - 
S. & S.—J. B.—E. P.—W. M.—B. F.—R. B. L.— 
R. E.—T. B. B.—H. A. B.—W. W. 
-- 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
J. & R. Thyne, 83, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow.— 
Garden Seeds for 1894. 
Thomas Sibbald, Bishop Auckland.—Kitchen 
Garden and Flower Seeds. 
John Cowan & Co., Ltd., Garston, near Liver¬ 
pool.—Vegetable and Flower Seeds, Sundries, &c. 
Tom B. Dobbs & Co., 32, Queen Square, Wolver¬ 
hampton.—Vegetable and Flower Seeds. 
Alex. Finlayson, 42, Above Bar, Southampton.— 
Vegetable and Flower Seeds. 
Vilmorin-Andrieux & Co , 4, Quai de la 
Megisserie, Paris.—Flower and Vegetable Seeds, 
Bulbs, &c. 
W. Atlee Burpee & Co., Philadelphia, U.S.A.— 
Flower and Vegetable Seeds. 
Richard Smith & Co., St. John’s, Worcester.— 
Vegetable and Flower Seeds. 
■--f-- 
LONDON SEED TRADE. 
January - zyd , 1894. 
Messrs. Hurst & Son, 152, Houndsditch, and 
39, Seed Market, Mark Lane, report a good demand 
for Trefoil at full prices, and finest Canadian Red 
Clover meets a steady sale at hardening rates, 
English Clover and Cowgrass are neglected and 
offer at lower prices. French Italian Ryegrass has 
advanced 2S. per bale. Supplies very short. 
COVENT GARDEN MARKEi. 
Jan. 24//;, 1894. 
Fruit.—Average Wholesale Prices. 
s. d s. d. 
Apples.per bushel 20 76 
Cob Nuts, per 100 lb. 40 0 42 6 
Grapes, per Ib. 0916 
s. d. 
Pine apples. 
—St. Michael’s, each 2 6 
5. d 
6 0 
Vegetables.—Average Retail Prices. 
d. s. d. 
ArtlchokesGlobedoz. 30 60 
Beans, French, perlb. i o 
Beet.per dozen 20 30 
Cabbages ... per doz. 20 30 
Carrots ... per bunch o 6 
Cauliflowers, Eng.dz. 30 50 
Celery.per bundle 16 20 
Cucumbers .each 03 06 
Endive, French, doz. 26 30 
Herbs .per bunch 02 06 
s, d. 
Horse Radish, bundle 2 0 
Lettuces ...per dozen 2 o 
Mushrooms, p. basket i 0 
Onions.per bunch 0 4 
Parsley ... per bunch o 6 
Radishes... per dozen i 6 
Smallsalading,punnet 0 4 
Spinach ... per strike 3 0 
Tomatos. per lb. o 6 
Turnips.per bun. 0 6 
X. d. 
4 0 
3 0 
1 6 
0 6 
I 0 
Plants in Pots.—Average Wholesale Prices. 
X. d. s. d. 
Arum Lilies, per doz. 9 o 15 0 
Azalea, per doz. 24 0 36 o 
Cyperus .per doz. 4 0 12 o 
Dracaena term., doz. 18 0 36 0 
Dracaena viridis.doz. 9 0 18 0 
Evergreens,invar.doz 6 0 24 o 
Ferns, invar.,per doz. 4 0 iS 0 
Ferns, small, per 100 4 0 10 0 
Foliage Plants, doz. 12 0 60 0 
X. d. X d. 
Heaths.per doz. 9 0 18 o 
Hyacinths... pec doz. 60 90 
Marguerites, perdoz. 9 0 12 o 
Palms in variety,each 2 6 10 o 
Palms, Specimen ... 15 0 63 0 
Poinsettia, per doz. 12 0 15 o 
Solanums ...per doz. 9 0 12 0 
Tulips. doz. pots 60 80 
Cut Flowers.—Average Wholesale Prices. 
s. d. s. d. 
Arum Lilies, i2blms. 20 40 
Azalea, dozen sprays 09 10 
Bcuvardias, per bun. 06 10 
Camellia doz. blooms 10 20 
Carnations...per doz. 10 30 
Chrysanthemums 
doz. bunches .3 080 
doz. blooms.o 630 
Eiicharis ...per doz. 30 40 
Gardenias 12 blooms 6 0 12 o 
Heliotropes,12 sprays 06 09 
Hyacinths, doz. spks. 20 40 
Lilium Harrisii, 
doz. blooms 6 0 12 0 
Lily of the Valley, doz. 
sprays.0 610 
Lilac,French.per bch. 4 060 
MaidennairFern,i2bs. 4 060 
Margueiites, 12 bun. 20 40 
Narciss, French,white 
doz. bchs. 30 50 
Narciss, Frencli, 
yellow, doz. bchs. 26 36 
Oi chid Bloom in var. 
per bloom, from 03 10 
X. d. s. d. 
Mignonette... 12 bun. 40 90 
Mimosa, French. 
per bch. 10 20 
Pelargoniums 12 sps. 06 i & 
^scarlet.12 bchs. 40 90 
Poinsettia, dcz. bloom 4 090 
Pyreihrum doz. bun. 1640 
Primula, double, bun. 06 10 
Roses, (French) 
doz. blooms 10 20 
— . per box 50 80 
Roses, yellow, dozen 20 40 
— Red.doz. blms. 10 16 
— Saflfrano...per doz. 20 30 
— Tea.per dozen 0620 
Tuberoses, per doz 06 10 
Tulips, doz. blooms 06 16 
Violets, Panne, French 
per bch. 30 40 
Violets, Czar, French 
per bch. 2030 
Violets,English 
doz. bchs. 16 20 
Violets, French, 
doz. bchs. 1026 
o'Ojn 
page 
Apple.new Hawthornden...3ti 
Badsworth Hall Gardens ..341 
Begonia Gloirede Lorraine 342 
Calanthes, new.339 
Callistemon salignus.343 
Cypripedium Adrastus.339 
Cypripedium Morganiae 
langleyense .339 
Dendrobium atroviolaceum339 
Dendrobium Hebe.339 
Epidendrum polybuibon....339 
Floriculture .340 
Florists' Flowers at Farn- 
haiii Royal.340 
Fruit Shows, Metropolitan 335 
Gardeners' Associations ...343 
Gardeners' Calendar.344 
Gardeners' Royal Benevo¬ 
lent Institution.338 
Gardeners' Testimonials....337 
George, Mr. E., death of ...336 
PAGE 
Jasminum grandiflcrum.343 
i Laelia anceps Ashworthi- 
ana.339 
Leeks, notes on .339 
Mormodes Rolfei.339 
Orchid Growers’ Calendar 339 
Orchid Notes .339 
Orchids at Dulcote.337 
Phaio-Calanthe Arnoldiae 339 
Pink, the decadence of the340 
Plants and their Enemies 340 
Plants, new, Certificated ...337 
Primrose the Chinese .336 
Primulas from Maidenhead 340 
Quotations.338 
Kaasay Weather Report ...338 
Societies.343 
I Tomato Disease, the.343 
Truelove, Mr. W., death of 336 
I Vegetables, common.342 
I Vegetable Garden, the.339 
