February 17, 1894. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
S91 
ments. This is one door by which many get into 
gardeners’ places, and the handy all round man who 
will clean windows, wash a pony trap, or wait at 
table, is by such thought more of than a really com¬ 
petent gardener.— A Voice from a Gravel Pit. 
-*S-- 
THE CULTURE OF “SMILAX.” 
Myrsiphyllum asparagoides. 
As we grow this plant in quantity, so as to keep up a 
constant supply of it, and are hardly ever without its 
graceful sprays for cutting for table and other decor¬ 
ations all the year round, a description of our 
procedure in its cultivation may be of interest to 
your correspondent “ Wm. Robertson,” who I see is 
asking for information about it. For trails on cloth 
for dinner table decoration, for winding round the 
long slender stems of cut flower glasses, or indeed for 
draping and hanging negligently over the edges of 
cut flower stands generally, no other trailing or 
creeping plant is so well adapted for giving a light 
and graceful finish to most cut flower decorations as 
is the one under notice. 
Its culture is very simple and easy, and the keep¬ 
ing up of a constant supply of its graceful sprays for 
cutting is not difiicult. To get up a stock of it 
quickly, the best plan is to procure sufficient seed 
and to sow two or three of these in small thumbs, 
filled v/ith a light sandy soil, and plunge the pots in 
a brisk hotbed, and when the plants are up and 
grown to the length of two or three inches, the pots 
should be taken out of the hotbed and placed on a 
shelf in a warm house, where they can be shaded 
from the strong sunshine. In this position they may 
stay for a short time to grow, preparatory to planting 
them out permanently in boxes. As the seed is some¬ 
what tardy in germinating, this process might be 
hastened by steeping the seed in very hot water for 
a few hours previously to sowing it. 
A light stick or bamboo cane, the length of the 
box, is placed along the top of each and nailed down 
at each end. To this is strung, every four inches 
apart, cotton, upon which the plants can climb, the 
other ends being strung to a wire stretched along 
the length of the back wall, and at about eight feet 
high from the boxes. Any coloured cotton will do 
for the purpose, but if a light green cotton, the 
colour of the sprays, is used, it is not necessary to 
draw it out when using the sprays for decoration, 
but if white or any other staring colour of cotton or 
twine is used, it should be cut in several places 
along its length, and carefully drawn out when the 
sprays are cut for use. Its further requirements are 
an occasional syringing, and at times a spraying with 
an insecticide when aphis makes its appearance, as 
it will do occasionally under the best of treatment. 
After a first crop of sprays have been cut, a watering 
with weak liquid manure once or twice a week is 
beneficial. Such is our mode of procedure in the 
cultivation of this indispensable plant, and one 
which all should possess where much cut flower 
decoration has to be done. 
For the permanent growing quarters I find there 
is no position so suitable for it as on the back walls 
of vineries. Here the plant gets the necessary 
warmth, moisture and shade suitable to its success¬ 
ful culture. Of course, the back walls of any warm 
houses, such as Peach-houses, lean-to greenhouses, 
etc., if sufficient shade can be given the plants, will 
be suitable positions, all of which we have tried, but 
give the preference to back walls of vineries. The 
bulk of our plants are grown in roug^l home-made 
boxes, 4 ft. long by 7 in. wide and 7 in. deep inside 
measure. The bottoms of the boxes are plentifully 
drilled with holes to allow for the water passing 
freely away. 
The plant is very accommodating as to soil, but a 
loamy one with plenty of turfy fibre in it, with one- 
third of thoroughly rotted manure or leaf soil added, 
with sufficient sand to keep the whole open and 
porous, gives the best result. The boxes are filled 
with this compost and then placed in position, they 
resting either on the border or on improvised 
elevated platforms, according as is most convenient 
to the situation, and placed close to the wall. In 
each box are planted eight plants, the soil being 
fairly firmed about them. 
From four boxes along the back walls of our early 
vineries we are just finishing the cutting of the third 
crop of sprays from plants the seed of which was 
sown twelve months ago. Now is a good time 
to sow seed making a start to get up a stock of it. 
Although shade is advised, the plant will grow 
fast and well in houses in full sunlight, but the sprays 
are apt to get scorched, and the colour is not near so 
deep and fresh-looking as when they are grown 
under not too dense a shade.— J. Kipling, Kneb- 
worth. 
Parsnips. 
The time for sowing the seed of these is near at 
hand, so that it may be well to consider how we can 
best produce good roots. Those who have a light, 
rich, free-working soil will have far less difficulty to 
contend with than others whose lot it is to grow 
them on either poor gravelly ground or that com¬ 
posed of stiff clay, as neither of these are well 
adapted for the production of large fleshy roots, the 
former being too porous for their growth, white the 
latter is so retentive that it causes the roots to rot. 
Kitchen gardens, as a rule, that have been well 
cultivated for some time, are rich in vegetable matter, 
owing to the soil having been constantly moved to a 
considerable extent and fertilisers of various kinds 
being from time to time added for the production of 
the different crops. This is not the case, however, 
with new or neglected gardens, so that the cultivator 
must adapt himself to circumstances and make the 
most of the material at hand. 
On poor, shallow, gravelly soil it may be necessary 
to add something that will help to make a greater 
depth of mould, such as road scrapings, refuse from 
the potting bench, in fact, anything that may be 
available, enriching the same with dung from the 
cow shed or piggery. It is also a good plan where 
the soil is so shallow to form it into ridges about 
2 ft. apart, on which the seed should be sown. 
Ground from which a crop of Celery has been taken 
is also a good place to grow Parsnips, as the cultiva¬ 
tion for the former will have rendered the soil fine. 
Stiff clay that has not been properly broken up is 
very difficult to deal with, therefore great care is 
needed to bring it in a fit condition for the reception 
of the seeds. Such ground should be turned up in 
the autumn and allowed to remain rough, so that 
the frost and drying March winds may act upon it if 
good crops are to be produced. 
When the soil is dry enough on the surface 
towards the end of that month fork it over, breaking 
all the clods as fine as possible ; it should be again 
forked over before the seed is sown to prevent 
cracking should the summer be very hot and dry, 
and well broken to pieces for a considerable depth, 
so that there may be no lumps left to impede the 
downward course of the roots. On such soil the 
seed is best sown in shallow drills about 18 in. 
apart. Thinning should take place as soon as the 
plants are large enough to handle, so that those 
drawn out may in no way interfere with the ones 
that are to remain. If very large roots are desired 
sprinkle a little sulphate of ammonia and potash 
over the ground before forking, as Parsnips require 
both these, especially the former. A little soot too 
may be sprinkled over the ground after the plants 
have been thinned, this is best done in showery 
weather. 
On heavy soils where the roots suffer from rust 
the earth should be removed from round the crowns, 
and these should be covered with sand to keep them 
clean for show purposes. It is seldom that it is 
necessary to water Parsnips, as their roots penetrate 
to such a depth, if the ground be well cultivated, 
that they are able to take up sufficient moisture for 
their support without the aid of the watering-pot.— 
Kitchen Gardener. 
Seakale. 
The Lily White Seakale is decidedly better in 
quality than the older variety. The former is easily 
forced, and the colour is what its name suggests. 
Seakale roots obtained from the South of England 
are forced with much greater facility than those 
which are northern grown, but for later supplies (say 
from the end of December and onwards) the old 
variety is very manageable, and little difference, if 
any, can be detected between the produce from roots 
grown in latitudes widely apart. For supplying 
good heads early in November, Seakale is better 
grown on a border, or some other special position 
which is well exposed to the sun. If the ground is 
well trenched and a good portion of sand added to it 
the crowns come into fit condition for forcing much 
earlier than if cultivated without special prepara¬ 
tion. On cold, damp land it is. scarcely possible to 
grow Seakale into good condition for early supplies, 
but under such conditions late Seakale is well sup¬ 
plied by covering to exclude air.— Stirling. 
Autocrat Pea. 
This excellent Pea has succeeded well in this county 
(Stirling), both last season and the year previous. Its 
fine, sturdy habit, free bearing proclivities, and last¬ 
ing late in the season, renders it a valuable Pea for 
northern gardens as well as in southern districts. It 
is seldom that one finds a Pea so distinct among the 
novelties which are yearly sent out. The Duke of 
Albany has for some years been a leading exhibition 
Pea at northern shows, but I think in future (when 
better known), that Autocrat will be a match for all 
comers.— Stirlmg. 
-- 
ISCELLANY. 
MACARANGA PORTEANA. 
Those who have large, warm conservatories to 
furnish would find in this plant a very suitable sub¬ 
ject. Its beauty consists in its large, handsome 
leathery leaves, which are peltate, ovate-orbi¬ 
cular, and dark green with radiating whitish ribs. 
The spreading stalks are of considerable length, but 
the lamina alone on strong plants measures 2jft. in. 
length by 2 ft. wide. The whole leaf would have a 
length of 4 ft. to 5 ft.; and as these spread equally 
on all sides of the plant, some idea may be gained of 
the spread of a healthy, thriving plant, such as that 
which may be seen at Kew. It is situated in the 
Victoria house, where it has full scope for its develop¬ 
ment as far as light, heat, and space are concerned. 
The large pot in which it is grown is stood upon 
another inverted in the tank ; hence the amount of 
space that can be afforded for its accommodation. 
No doubt it could be kept in a much smaller state by 
occasional propagation to render it amenable for 
stove decoration amongst other plants. The hand¬ 
some and effective character of a large specimen 
like that under notice cannot be gainsaid, and one 
can conceive the rage there would he for it for sub¬ 
tropical gardening, provided it were amenable for 
that method of treatment. Other species occa¬ 
sionally make their appearance in gardens under 
various names ; and that under notice is occasionally 
named Mappa Porteana. 
ALOE BRACHYSTACHYS. 
This Aloe was received at Kew just ten years ago, 
and is now flowering for the first time. It has 
proved to be a new species and a figure of it is being 
prepared for the “ Botanical Magazine.” Ten years 
is a long time to wait for a plant to flower, and the 
average gardener would doubtless lose patience 
long before that time, notwithstanding the adage 
that all things come to those who. wait. Now that 
the plant has attained a flowering stage it may con¬ 
tinue to bloom every year. The main stem is about 
2 ft. high and the scape adds as much again, but is 
not quite erect. The leaves are fleshy, 12 in. to 
18 in. long, with scolloped serratures at the margins, 
green, and striated with darker veins at the base. 
The flowers are cylindrical, or tubular, bright red, 
with a green tip when in bud, but as they become 
fully expanded, they become paler, tending to 
yellow with three converging green lines on 
the segments. They are arranged in a dense 
raceme at the top of the scapes, which are axillary, 
so that the crown bud is not interrupted, but con¬ 
tinues lengthening. The species is a native of East 
Tropical Africa, and was sent to Kew by Sir 
John Kirk. Two others sent home by the same 
botanist turned out to be new species. 
LACHENALIA MEDIANA. 
This species has just been introduced from the Cape 
of Good Hope, and was reckoned amongst the new 
plants that appeared last year in Italy. In its native 
home it grows in humid meadows in the neighbour¬ 
hood of the sea. It is characterised by its flowers, 
being of a pate sulphur yellow colour and emitting 
a sweet odour not frequently given off by Lachena- 
lias. It is of easy culture in a compost of good 
friable loam and sand, and commences flowering 
about the middle of March. 
f®ARDENING 
