424 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 3, 1894, 
house at Kew. It belongs to the Pea family, but 
the flowers are more nearly shaped like those of a 
Rhododendron, of a soft rosy-scarlet, and arranged in 
dense, circular rosettes or trusses. The young and 
developing leaves are beautifully blotched or 
variegated with brown. 
ILLhClUM FLORIDANUM. 
The leaves of this plant are leathery, evergreen, and 
possessed of glands sunk in their tissue, and when 
bruised they give off an odour of aniseed. The 
flowers are curious and interesting, although not 
particularly showy ; the petals are very numerous, 
linear, and so arranged as to give the whole a starry 
appearance. The name Star Anise is sometimes 
given, but that applies more to the fruit than to the 
flowers, as the component parts of the ovary are 
numerous and arranged in the form of a radiating 
star, which becomes more spreading and prominent 
when ripe. The flowers are of a rich deep red 
though not brilliant, and have the further recom¬ 
mendation of being fragrant. Flowering specimens 
may be seen in the economic house at Kew. A cool 
greenhouse is the safest place for it, where it will 
flower earlier than in the open air. It is so nearly 
hardy, however, that it is occasionally planted 
against an open wall. In the more favoured parts 
of the country where the frosts are seldom or never 
very severe, it will succeed tolerably well and flower 
sometime between April and July, lasting some time 
in bloom. Under favourable conditions it will 
attain a height of 6 ft. or 8 ft., but can be success¬ 
fully grown and flowered in pots when only i8 in., 
to 2 ft. high. 
DRIMYS WINTERI. 
In the more favoured parts of the country this 
proves hardy, and when planted in sheltered situa¬ 
tions will flower, otherwise it is practically a green¬ 
house plant. Those who have a large and cool con¬ 
servatory or winter garden to fill would find it 
serviceable on account of its evergreen, dark and 
leathery foliage. It flowers in winter and spring, 
lasting a long time in bloom, and may bear the 
berry-like fruits of the previous year at the same 
time, as in the case of a large plant in the economic 
house at Kew. The fruits are about the size of 
small Peas, and as they mature they first become 
purple then deepen to black, with a glaucous bloom. 
The numerous petals are white, the prominent 
stamens yellow, and the ovaries green. The flowers 
are produced in clusters terminating the shoots or 
in the axils of the upper leaves. The species is a 
native of South America, and, being possessed of an 
aromatic bark, is of some economic value. 
RONDELETIA AMOENA. 
The colours of the flowers of this species are tamer 
or more subdued than those of the more popular R. 
odorata, best known in gardens under the name of 
R. speciosa major. The blooms are said to be pink, 
but in a specimen now flowering in the Palm house 
at Kew they are of the faintest shade of blush or 
almost white with a yellow eye produced by a beard 
of short hairs in the throat, and by the stigma. 
The leaves are ovate and many times larger than 
those of the other species above mentioned. Like 
those of the latter the flowers are also agreeably 
fragrant. The species is a native of Guatemala, and 
requires stove treatment to ensure success. The 
cymes of fragrant flowers would be suitable for 
mixing with others in a cut state if high colour is no 
object. 
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WHAT TO DO IN THE GARDEN, 
Rondeletia speciosa.—It is a custom with some 
cultivators to keep on growing this plant year aftei 
year and simply tying in the shoots to prevent the 
plant getting too cumbersome. A better plan is to 
cut back the shoots every year and so dispense with 
tying altogether. The flowers are produced at the 
tips of the young shoots, so that if the plants are 
hard cut back now, and pinched once during May, a 
sufficient number of branches will be produced to 
give a fine display during next autumn and early 
winter. 
Ixoras.—Where these are grown for the sake of 
cut flowers, they should be treated much in the same 
way as Rondeletias. Young plants generally give 
the largest trusses, and are most convenient in other 
ways for this kind of work. From one to four years 
old, generally speaking, should be the limit, but so 
long as the plants continue to give an annual supply 
of flowers of sufficient quantity with trusses of good 
size, the cultivator need not trouble about their age 
provided they do not get too large. When the first 
trusses are cut, secondary ones will be produced if 
plenty of heat and moisture is given. 
Vinca rosea.—Both the type and its variety 
should be hard cut back, and when they commence 
to grow again, they may be shaken out, the balls 
reduced and then repotted in a smaller size. They 
do not branch freely unless stopped several times by 
taking out the points, after the shoots have made 
about three joints. 
Eranthemums. —Several species of this genus 
are grown for winter flowering, including E. nervosum 
(pulchellum), E. albiflorum, and E. Andersoni. If 
cuttings are taken now they can be grown into use¬ 
ful sized bushy plants that will commence flowering 
in the autumn. Some of them do not produce young 
shoots very freely until cut back, so that this may 
be accomplished at once if not already effected. 
Torenias. —The most popular of the annual 
species of Torenia are T, Fournieri and T. Bailoni, 
but particularly the former as it forms a bushy erect 
habited pot specimen. The pendulous habit of T. 
Bailoni renders it very appropriate for hanging 
baskets. Seeds may be sown at once in light soil, 
and placed in stove heat to germinate. Prick them 
off into pans when they begin to show the first rough 
leaves ; or if too thickly sown or if they show signs 
of damping have it done earlier. They will flower 
during summer and early autumn. T. Fournieri 
may be put three together in 32 size pots when they 
form sturdy plants an inch or two high. 
Heaths and Epacnis. —Plants now oat of bloom 
should be ^cut back and introduced to heat to 
encourage them to make fresh growth. Keep them 
rather dry at the roots till they commence to grow 
again, but syringe the stems to favour their starting 
well. 
Peaches. —Do not attempt hard forcing by high 
temperatures while the weather is cold and sunless, 
but rather rely upon making up for lost time when 
more genial and bright weather sets in. Attend 
regularly to disbudding and tie down the young 
shoots as they attain some length and strength, but 
while they are still quite pliable. The fruits in the 
second early house, started say in December, will 
now be well set and commencing to swell. A good 
watering might be given the border with water 
about a temperature of 85°. Keep the house airy 
where the trees are now in bloom, and aid fertilisa¬ 
tion as in the earlier houses. 
Melons. —Progress with young plants cannot be 
very rapid when the outside temperature and cold 
winds prevent free ventilation from being given. 
Nor should a high degree of warmth be maintained 
by artificial means, otherwise the plants, without 
ventilation, will get unduly drawn. 
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QUESClOnS ADD AnsoieRs. 
Japan Pink.— R. H. : There is a Dianthus 
japonicus, but it is by no means a common plant, 
and we should not think it is the plant to which 
you refer. It is no doubt the Chinese Pink, of which 
there are now very numerous varieties in gardens, 
with large and small, single and double flowers. 
You will be able to obtain them under the names of 
Dianthus chinensis, D. c. flore pleno, D. c. Hede- 
wigii, and D. c. H. flore pleno. The Heddewigii 
strain bears the largest flowers, both single and 
double, and if you get a packet, or packets, of mixed 
seed you will find a great amount of variety amongst 
them. 
Moving a Thorn. — A. Heri\ It would scarcely be 
advisable to lift and transplant so large a tree at this 
season, as the roots will soon be active, if, indeed, 
they are not so already. The buds sometimes fail 
to start if the tree has been lifted late in the season, 
particularly in the case of large specimens. The 
best plan for the present would be to take out a 
trench all round the tree at a distance of 3 ft. from 
the trunk. Make the trench 3 ft. deep, so that you 
may get at and cut all the long straggling roots, and 
particularly those which tend to go deeply into the 
soil. When filling up this, put in some fresh soil, 
leaf soil and vegetable humus, to encourage the de¬ 
velopment of young, fibrous roots during the coming 
summer. The when the leaves have fallen in 
autumn, say about the end of October or the be¬ 
ginning of November, you can transplant the tree 
with a good ball of soil. Make the soil firm, give a 
watering to settle it, then stake and tie the tree to 
prevent its being driven about by the \wnd, and the 
roots from getting frayed. 
Potting Achimenes.— Amateur'. Turn out the 
old soil containing the tubers, and carefully crumble 
it down with the fingers so as to get all the tubers 
out. Then get some pots or pans, drain them care¬ 
fully, placing Moss over the crocks; fill them to-\Uthin 
an inch of the top with light material consisting 
chiefly of sand and leaf soil. Place the tubers 
about an inch apart each way and cover them wth 
half an inch of the same compost. The pots or pans 
are now to be placed in a stove or other warm place ; 
bottom heat would be of great advantage, at least 
till the tubers start into growth. Very little or no 
water will be required till the stems appear above 
the soil, unless the latter is dry at potting time, and 
such should not be the case. When the plants have 
attained a height of 2 in. it is time to re-pot them 
into their flowering pots, pans or baskets as the case 
may be. Prepare a compost of loam, fibrous peat 
and leaf soil in about equal proportions with a good 
quantity of silver sand, and enrich the compost with 
a sixth part of sheep or deer’s droppings or well- 
decayed cow manure. On this occasion be even 
more careful with the drainage. Assort the tubers 
in sizes, putting the large ones by themselves, and 
transplant into the fresh compost, giving the plants 
a little more room on this occasion. Stand them 
near the glass and shade from bright sunshine. When 
growing freely give an abundant supply of water; 
and if you have given the plants plenty of room you 
can pinch out the tops to cause the production of a 
larger number of flowering branches. 
Greens for Winter Use.— Omega : Foremost 
in the list we would place Brussels Sprouts, Purple 
Sprouting Broccoli and Dwarf Curled Greens. The 
Purple Kale or Brown Kale of the Germans is one 
of the hardiest you could plant, but you might not 
like its dark colour when boiled although the 
flavour is excellent. Cottagers’ Kale is very hardy, 
and after having stood the winter produces a large 
quantity of delicious sprouts in spring. For this 
latter purpose. Asparagus Kale is excellent and 
should not be overlooked. Hardy Green and the 
Rosette Coleworts are also fairly hardy and make 
excellent greens. Dwarf Ulm and other Savoys 
when planted rather late are very useful. Dwarf 
Drumhead Cabbage is very hardy, although 
not so delicate in flavour as the rest. Christ¬ 
mas Cabbage is a dwarf and hardy variety. 
The principal point with these Cabbages is to plant 
them rather late, say in July. If you live at a dis¬ 
tance from large and smoky towns, many of the 
Cabbages, if planted late, stand the winter admir¬ 
ably well in southern counties. 
Peat Moss Litter. — Omega ; This material 
absorbs a large amount of urine and moisture gener¬ 
ally when used in stables, and is therefore a tolerably 
rich manure, but it is very light and should not be 
used on sandy or gravelly soils. It has not the 
durability of manure obtained from the stables 
where straw is used for bedding, and though it gives 
crops a stimulus the first year it is of little value after 
that except to assist in lightening heavy soils. 
Manure made from straw’, because more durable, is 
more suitable even for this purpose. Manure from 
peat moss litter is quick in its action but not 
durable. 
Seviperv’ivum for Carpet Bedding.— A. J. 
Downes : If it is your intention to keep Sempervivum 
tortuosum variegatum dw'arf, you cannot use it in 
carpet bedding designs, because it will grow 4 in. to 
8 in. high in the course of the season, and would 
then be out of character and keeping with the other 
plants. If you pinch off the tops then the plant 
would be bare for some considerable time, thus 
spoiling the effect of the bed. As a dot plant on a 
green carpet of Mentha or Herniaria it would be 
excellent; it might a’so be used in making patches, 
small circles a*id other figures that are elevated 
above the general level of the bed by way of reliev¬ 
ing its monotony. We hav’e ourselves used it in this 
way but never as a carpeting plant like Alternan- 
theras, Mesembryanthemum cordifolium variegatum, 
or Sedum. It, in fact, grows too freely w’heu 
p'anted out with unlimited root room, to be used as 
a carpeting plant; but as a rule it retains its varie¬ 
gation admirably. 
Old Tree Roots in the Soil.— Omega : Fungoid 
growths would be sure to grow upon dead and decay¬ 
ing roots, but they need not necessarily attack living 
ones unless they are truly parasitic. All the same 
we should consider their presence as injurious to the 
roots of young trees 3'ou might plant there, by 
creating an unsuitable soil for the young roots to 
penetrate. We should remove as many of the larger 
roots as possible, and trench the soil, w'orking in as 
much fresh material as expenses will allow'. The 
reason for this is that the ground is exhausted by 
being occupied w'ith trees or their roots for many 
years, so that it is necessary to give fresh material 
and avoid planting the same kind of trees in the 
same position as much as possible. Soil of any kind, 
so long as it is fairly rich, will suit, such as old pot¬ 
ting soil, leaf soil, the humus obtained from the 
rubbish heap, and consisting for the most part of 
decayed vegetable matter, the scourings of ditches by 
the roadsides and elsewhere, w’herever you may be 
able to get it. 
Scented 'Verbena.— IF. S.: The "Verbena, so 
called, of the perfumers, is the oil obtained from a 
