358 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Feb. 7th, 18S5. 
La Vesuve. —Bright red, edges of the petals flushed 
with yellow. 
Gloire de Nancy. —Deep yellow self. 
Madame Rouillaed. —Soft velvety scarlet. 
William Rollisson.— Mahogany, suffused with 
orange. 
Victor Lemoixe. —Bright vermilion, stripped with 
yellow. 
As soon as vegetation begins to show signs of 
returning vitality, strong plants can be obtained and 
put out, and will be found to give a good bloom 
during the summer. They should not be disturbed 
the second year, and when getting too large they 
should be taken up and divided, and treated the same 
as other perennials.— J. Knight, Bilston. 
— s—■ — 
IVY ON WALLS. 
It is often asserted that Ivy on walls is productive 
of damp, but where such is the case it is only under 
circumstances that would be conducive to damp were 
there no Ivy grown; at present we observe on a high 
north wall where Ivy has been established many years, 
that the brickwork is perfectly dry to the centre of the 
wall, while on portions of the same wall damp has 
penetrated through and through, and on these portions 
no Ivy has been grown. 
The trimming of the plants has much to do with 
their success. Frequently Ivy may be seen dangling 
away from the building, and in course of time its own 
weight drags it to the ground. On ruins one wishes 
to see wild natural growth, but on dwelling-houses we 
prefer trimming in closely the previous year’s growth. 
The operation being performed just when growth 
takes place, the denuded plants are unsightly only for 
a short time. The young growth soon forms a fresh 
green carpet, holding closely to the building. 
Last year we planted a large number of fine Ivies 
which had been raised in pots, trained to upright 
poles to the height of 6 ft. and 7 ft. These planted 
and their shoots trained outwards and upwards have 
now a dense evergreen appearance, there being from 
sis to ten main shoots on each. The new buildings 
which they were planted against with a view to giving 
them an aged appearance are now in character with 
the old erections.— M. Temple, Carron House, Falkirk. 
DOUBLE CHINESE PRIMULAS. 
At this season of the year few plants are more 
valuable, either for giving a supply of cut blooms or as 
a flowering plant for general decoration. Yet it is 
surprising how rarely we meet with them in really 
good condition, especially as there is little difficulty 
in growing them where they get proper treatment. 
The chief difficulty is, perhaps, in propagating, and 
this may be done comparatively easy if the right 
method is adopted and proper attention paid them. 
At this season, when the plants are flowering, they 
require careful attention to prevent damping off at 
the stems, they should be gone through, say, regularly 
every fortnight, and have all the bad leaves removed, 
taking care in doing so that as little of the leaf-stalk 
is left as possible, though they must not be taken off 
close enough to injure the stems. 
After the plants have done flowering and the old 
flower-stems have been cleaned off, the plants will 
soon start into fresh growth and throw out extra 
shoots, and at this period it is best to keep the plants 
well exposed, so as to secure short sturdy growths. 
As soon as they have made a little growth they will be 
ready for propagating. The easiest and most certain 
way to increase the stock is to. top-dress the plants 
previous to cutting them up. The plants should first 
be carefully cleaned, every particle of the old leaf¬ 
stalks must be cleaned off the stems, and all the old 
bloom-stalks removed. When this has been done, and 
the stems have had a little time to dry, the pots 
should be top-dressed with some good light compost, 
where it can be obtained there is nothing better for 
this purpose than good leaf-mould with an equal 
portion of sand added. The leaf-mould should be 
rubbed through a i-in. sieve, as if used too rough it 
will be difficult to divide the roots. When the plants 
are divided, in top-dressing, the soil should be pressed 
just firm enough to hold together, and the stems must 
be covered up close to the base of the lower leaves. 
After this has been done, the plants should be 
placed in a waim growing atmosphere, giving only 
sufficient water to keep the new soil moist enough to 
encourage the new roots, which will very soon start 
out from the stems that have been covered up. In 
about three weeks or a month they will be ready for 
dividing, and if this is done carefully nearly every 
division will have a few nice roots, and will soon make 
good plants if potted singly in small pots and kept 
quite close until they have made a few fresh roots, 
when they should be gradually exposed, and as soon 
as they have made sufficient root they should be 
potted on. It is best, however, not to give them too 
much pot room, and the final shift should be made 
not later than September. For potting, a good rich light 
compost should be used, and the pots be well drained. 
Select Varieties. —The old double white seems to 
be the most popular, especially for market work, as in 
addition to its wonderful productiveness, the flowers 
are more pure than any of the fimbriated varieties. 
Candidissima is the best fimbriated form, though 
there is very little difference between this and alba 
plena fimbriata and Fairy. The flowers of these are 
all pure white when they first open, but change a 
little pinky as the flowers get older. Too much 
cannot be said in favour of the varieties raised by 
Mr. Gilbert, but unfortunately the four varieties 
(Mrs. Barron, Princess, Marchioness of Exeter, 
and White Lady) are too much alike to be grown 
under different names. With us all produce a 
large percentage of pure white flowers, though all 
occasionally produce flowers striped and spotted with 
pink and purple. Earl Beaeonsfield is a good variety, 
with cerise-pink flowers of large size and good form. 
King of Purples is the finest dark variety. Emperor, 
which has fern-leaves and very double flowers, is also 
a fine variety, but rather delicate in constitution. 
Of the carmine varieties, there are four which are 
very similar, i.e., Balfouri, Magnifica, Carminata 
flora-plena, and Peach Blossom. Balfouri is perhaps 
the best of these four. Miss Eva Fish, is very 
distinct, with large pale lilac flowers, and very 
vigorous habit. Exquisite, pale blush-pink, of dwarf 
compact habit. Annie Hillier is a very fine pink 
variety, but I do not know if it is in commerce yet, as 
I have not seen it since it was exhibited at South 
Kensington in December, 1880, when it was awarded 
a First-Class Certificate.— A. Hemsley. 
KITCHEN-GARDENS. 
Vegetable-growing at country residences has 
always been an important item among the multi¬ 
farious duties of the gardener, and is likely to remain 
an object of his care and attention. In these times of 
retrenchment and economy it is a matter of surprise 
to many that such expensive arrangements are 
carried out for the growing of such vegetable crops 
as can be, and in hundreds of cases are, grown much 
better in a field enclosed with a hedge, and often (as 
many parts of Fulham Fields) with no enclosure at 
all. Expensive walls, gravel walks, box or other 
edgings, borders, and numerous unnecessary adjuncts 
are foimed as if such were required to produce 
common vegetable, crops, while one may see on the 
same property the best of crops on the outside slips 
and other auxiliary portions, or it may be in the 
cottager’s plot. 
Walls do more harm by shutting out air than is 
compensated by any advantage they give in the way of 
protection. Then there is so much space wasted by 
paths and unproductive portions, that one cannot con¬ 
sider it in any other light than downright waste. The 
selling mania, too, is greatly impeded by the present 
style of vegetable-gardens. If profit and competition 
with market growers .{bond fide ones) -are the main 
objects, then we would advise proprietors to do their 
work in a manner commensurate with the extent under 
manipulation and the profits which are expected to be 
returned from the space. It is one thing to cultivate 
an acre of land encumbered with ornamental objects, 
but quite another with the same extent standing quite 
clear of work making extras. The former requires 
double the labour, and gives half or less returns than 
the latter. 
Growing for market and cultivating for private use 
are widely different in practice. The crops in the 
former case remain no longer in the ground than will 
enable the grower to make the best market prices; but 
for private supply the crop has to remain till the family 
have had their wants supplied and then the remnant is 
sold. In many cases the remains of crop3 which have 
been reduced piecemeal are not worth the expense of 
carnage to market. The market system of clearing 
off the crops, manuring the ground, and starting 
another crop all in one day is smart practice, which 
can never be carried out in gardens where the family 
are having then- daily supply. The whole system of 
vegetable fanning is widely different and proportionately 
profitable and simple to that of private gardens. 
The same remark also applies to fruit-growing 
under glass. The best is sent to table, and what can 
be spared, probably when prices are lowest, is sold. 
From walls the returns are so small that expenses 
cannot be covered by these means. 
What we look upon as the most objectionable fault 
in the present formation of kitchen-gardens is the 
unsightly blots often seen on the landscape in the form 
of glaring brick walls. Passing along the railways one 
often looks upon and admires the noble demesnes of 
wealthy proprietors, but suddenly the whole is marred 
by coming in close proximity to a number of huge walls. 
It is true that there are many of these kitchen-gardens 
judiciously masked, while others are so shut out of 
sight that they are rendered almost worthless. 
It is very noticeable at the present time that the 
keeping of kitchen-gardens is of a most objectionable 
character. One may go through the half of a county 
and not find a garden but what is smothered with 
weeds, and the whole aspect as if the place was aban¬ 
doned. The want of labour is generally the cause of 
this evil, and we see no remedy for this while the 
systematic reduction of labour is going on.— M. T. 
THE TAR DRESSING FOR VINES. 
I had hoped when I saw Mr. Warden’s first note in 
your columns respecting the merits of coal-tar and 
clay as a remedy for mealy-bug on vines that other 
and abler writers than I am would have added their 
testimony to his. With your permission I will give 
you my experience with it here. The vineries, two in 
number, had been cleaned and the woodwork fresh 
painted when I took charge of the gardens about two 
years ago. The vines having been well cleaned, but 
not scraped or anything approaching thereto, were 
painted with a strong mixture of paraffin, two coats 
were, I think, given, but very soon from many of the 
spurs were to be seen the white cottony appearance of 
the mealy-bug in its earliest stages. All that I could 
do while the vines were growing I did by constantly 
going over the vines and handpicking all that could be 
seen, but, despite all my efforts, the bug got into the 
bunches, from which I need not say it is impossible to 
dislodge them thoroughly or even partially without 
damaging the bloom to a serious extent. 
Well, such being the predicament, I let both 
grow together until harvest, and when the bunches 
were cut for use I held each bunch that had bug in 
it under a tap and allowed the water, with as 
much force as possible, to fall into the centres, which 
did scarcely any damage to the bloom and cleaned the 
bug off as well as could be expected. I always did 
this some time before the Grapes were wanted that the 
water could drain off and leave them dry, so that 
when presented at table no one would have recognized 
them as the same as were only a few hours before 
covered with bug. When the winter came round I 
got the vineries washed with soft-soap and water, 
thoroughly syringing it off the glass before it had time 
to dry, after which the woodwork was painted, with 
paraffin mixed in the paint. The vines were, in the 
meantime, divested of any loose bark, especial attention 
being bestowed on the spurs, to remove anything that 
would easily come off, but no scraping or barking, 
and washed with soft-soap and afterwards dressed 
with tar mixture in the proportion of one part of 
coal-tar to twelve parts of clay that had been previously 
well worked together so as to break up all lumps 
thoroughly, but not passed through a sieve, as Mr. 
Warden recommends, and which is a better plan, 
though not absolutely necessary. 
It will be seen that the mixture I used was very 
much weaker than that recommended by Mr. Warden, 
but the results were very satisfactory. In the earliest 
house no bug was to be found last season, neither do 
I think there would have been any in the late house 
