Feb. 28th, 1885. 
411 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
When the shoots are A in. long turn the plants out of 
the pots and reduce the balls of soil all you can, 
re-potting again in pots of the same size, but let them 
be quite clean and well crocked. If your house is 
small discard the least promising of the three, keeping 
one to work up into a bush and the other to train to a 
ladder or trellis. The soil for growing these on in 
should be rich old turfy loam, to which add one-sixth 
of sharp sand and the same of rotten cow-dung. 
Always pot firmly and never within 1 in. of the top, 
water with weak manure water once or twice a week, 
and re-pot as soon as the roots begin to run round the 
sides of the pot. Pinch out the points of the shoots 
and stake and tie so as to get the plants into a neat 
form—training can never begin too soon. Give the 
last shift, which should be into an 8-in. or 10-in. pot, 
about six weeks before the show, and do not pinch 
after that. If you can stand the plants on a mild 
bottom heat for a few weeks from now their growth 
will be more rapid. Give also plenty of air and a 
sprinkling overhead daily. If you wish to keep the 
plants in bloom over as long a time as possible you 
must use stimulants later on, but I would not recom¬ 
mend liquid manure after the first bloom shows. To 
retard the plants should they get too soon into bloom, 
stand them under a canvas shade outside, having one 
side open to the north, and turn them round every 
day. The later on the show to which you intend to 
take the plants, the longer must the pinching and 
feeding continue. I shall be glad to advise you later 
on should you find a difficulty in your way.— 
Authentes. 
The Knap Hill Primroses.— Barely protected 
from frost, Mr. Anthony Waterer has a houseful of 
his special strain of Primroses now in full bloom, 
varying in every shade from white to crimson. We 
venture to assert, without fear of contradiction, that 
no class of plants could be brought to furnish such a 
display of colour at this season with so little trouble. 
So little trouble say we, that is so little trouble to the 
purchaser of the plants or seeds, but to produce the 
strain the labour cannot be calculated as it has been 
the work of a life-time with Mr. Waterer. 
The Earliest Narcissus. —Narcissus pallidus 
prrecox is now expanding its beautiful sulphur- 
coloured blossoms in the open, and will, as happened 
last year, be nearly a fortnight in advance of all 
others in our bulb grounds at Tooting. The first 
flower opened about the loth inst. —Barr & Son. 
[The early straw-coloured Daffodil of Parkinson, 
N. pallidus prascox, the re-introduction of which we 
owe to the Messrs. Barr, is not only the earliest, but 
one of the handsomest varieties. It is flowering a 
little later this year than last.— Ed.] 
-- 
The Propagator: Ctperus alternifolics.— 
This and the variegated form are very useful plants 
for decorative purposes ; for if supplied with plenty of 
water at the root, they will stand for a considerable 
length of time in an almost dark room. The most 
co mm on method of increasing these plants is by 
division, but when propagated in this way, the plants 
raised cannot be compared to those grown from 
cuttings or tops. Select a hard and full grown crown, 
and if it is very straggling shorten back the tips and 
insert it in a small pot, or several in a pan of very 
sandy soil. Place them in a close propagating frame 
and keep them moist. On no account allow them to 
become dry once, for it delights in plenty of moisture, 
and nothing injures it sooner than dryness at the root. 
When rooted they may be potted up and will soon 
grow into useful plants.— C. W. 
Eritrichium strictum. —There is so little to 
distinguish the flowers of this genus from those of 
Myosotis that by the ordinary observer most of the 
species would be taken for Forget-me-nots. The 
most obvious distinction is in the smaller size of the 
flowers in Eritrichium, to which, however, there are 
some exceptions; E. nanum, for instance, has 
blossoms as large as many species of Myosotis. The 
seed-like fruits or nuts show, however, that they are 
really related to the genus Cynoglossum or “ Hounds- 
tongue.” Most of the species are insignificant weeds, 
but that just named is eminently worthy of cultivation 
and this, though less remarkable, is deserving a place 
in the borders. It grows about a foot high, and bears 
long terminal racemes of small bright blue flowers in 
succession for a considerable period. It is of the 
easiest cultivation in any light or mixed soil, and will 
probably succeed treated as a hardy annual.— 
JV. Thompson, Ipswich. 
Kich.ard.ia sethiopica. — I noticed on a recent 
visit to Gunnersbury that Mr. Boberts grows this plant 
in a cooler atmosphere than it is generally seen in at 
this season of the year; the plants, too, are potted in 
a stiff loam, but they are dwarf and very robust, and 
throw up spathes of great size and beauty. Really 
the specimens one sometimes sees are much too 
lanky in appearance, through being drawn, and the 
spathes are generally undersized in consequence.— 
R. D. 
Corbularia monophyllus (Clusii and albus). 
—These beautiful snow-white flowers have been 
blooming with us from the middle of January, and 
will continue so for some weeks, under one of Boulton 
and Paul’s frames. Early in autumn we planted 
these bulbs in a mixture of sand and loam, on a bed 
raised a few inches above the general level and 
covered with the frame. The lights were raised 
sufficiently to admit air only, the great point-being 
to protect the bulbs from the cold autumn rains. 
When the leaves had advanced an inch or two the 
sides of the frame were alternately raised, thus fully 
exposing the plants, except when there was a severe 
frost or heavy rains, when air only was admitted ; this 
treatment will be followed till the weather becomes 
dry and warm, when the glass will be kept constantly 
down, only admitting air.— Barr & Son, February 24th. 
Erica herbacea alba. —All lovers of pretty, neat, 
hardy garden plants will hail the presence of this 
pretty gem with pleasure. Peeping out of the compact 
bushes of it at Mr. Anthony Waterer’s, at Knap Hill, 
are myriads of the earliest flowers of this little beauty 
presaging the display which they mean to keep up 
until the summer comes in. 
The Kitchen Gardener’s Calendar. —Where 
new plantations of Asparagus are contemplated, the 
ground should be got ready by trenching it and 
mixing with the soil a good quantity of well-rotted 
manure, asthe trenchingto an uniform depth of at least 
3 ft. is proceeded with. Similar preparatioms should be 
made where necessary for making fresh plantations of 
Rhubarb, by dividing the roots or crowns, and planting 
the divisions with the buds 2 ins. under the surface, 
in rows 31? ft. asunder, and 3 ft. apart in the rows. 
Draw a little soil up to early sowings of Peas, and 
afterwards stake them; putting the sticks (with 
small spray between the latter at the bottom) close to 
the Peas on either side of the rows to prevent them 
from swaying. Make another sowing of such varieties 
as Telephone or Stratagem. I would here remark 
that where there is any difficulty experienced in 
securing long sticks, the latter variety is the Pea 
to grow, as it only requires very short sticks (from 2^ ft. 
to 3 ft. long) to support its heavily cropped haulms. 
Complete the planting out of autumn-sown Cauli¬ 
flowers. The nature of the weather having prevented 
the directions given in the twq. preceding calendars 
respecting seed-sowing from being carried out, the 
first favourable opportunity that presents itself for 
this purpose should therefore be taken advantage of, 
but under no circumstances should this be attempted 
—even though the operation had to be deferred for 
a month or six weeks—before the ground is in a 
thoroughly workable condition. Overhaul herb- 
borders, and make fresh plantations of Tarragon, 
Sage, Thyme, Sorrel, Pennyroyal, Chamomile, Savory, 
Chervil, and Lavender, by division of the roots and 
slips. Weed, brush, and afterwards roll gravel walks, 
and otherwise maintain cleanliness and good order 
throughout the garden. 
Forcing Department. — Cucumbers which have 
been bearing all the winter will be considerably 
benefited by having a little of the loose surface soil 
removed and replaced with a like quantity of a 
compost, consisting of three parts of light loam and 
one of horse droppings. This, by causing the surface 
roots to push into it, will have an invigorating effect 
on the plants. Remove old shoots and leaves to make 
room for young ones. Train the former thinly over 
the trellis, and pinch the points of the shoots out to 
cause the same to thicken, as well as the fruit to swell 
faster. Close the house at 85 degs. early on bright 
afternoons — say at 2.30—with an abundance of 
atmospheric moisture. Aim at a night temperature 
of 65 degs. to 70 degs., and 5 degs. higher by day 
with fire-heat. If the plants are growing in pots or 
boxes, they should have liberal supplies of weak tepid 
manure water at the roots. If young plants of Tender 
and True—the best for summer indoor work—are 
not already transferred to the hillocks—the house 
having been previously well-cleaned—no time should 
be lost in doing so, in a compost the same as that 
indicated above. The soil should be in the house 
twenty-four hours before setting the plants therein to 
get warm.— H. IF. Ward. 
Onions. —I should like to ask “B.” whether the 
Onion mentioned by him as the Wethersfield, see 
p. 395, is the same as that somewhat rare sort, the 
Danesfield, a very fine flattish kind, having a reddish 
brown skin, and evidently a capital keeper ? It is 
curious that the firm which sent out this Onion a few 
years since do not now quote it, and I infer that the 
stock has been permitted to become small, and has 
been thus for a time withheld from commerce. It has 
the merit of being not only a fine kind and a good 
keeper, but is also quite distinct, and that is much 
more than can be said of any of the so-called new 
forms of the White Spanish type, because these seem 
to differ in nothing but name. Now and then excep¬ 
tionally fine bulbs are shown of this reputed sort or 
that one, but still all are alike as two Peas. Happily 
any good strain of the White Spanish gives us as fine a 
crop of good keeping Onions as does any other variety. 
In selecting Onions for late keeping, it is well to go 
carefully through the bulbs, and if it is not possible to 
rope all the crop, at least a bushel or two may be 
selected for that purpose. These should be of medium 
size, well ripened, and solid, whilst any large bulbs, 
and especially those not so firm, should be used first. 
Keeping necessarily is to no inconsiderable extent 
contingent upon the season, and if the bulbs be 
thoroughly matured and not too early so as to provoke 
precocity, and be stored thoroughly dry, it is certain 
that the best may be preserved, roped, and in a dry 
cool shed for many months.— D. 
Lettuces. —In the admirable list of select vege¬ 
tables furnished by “ B.,” I note that the fine French 
Cabbage variety, White Chevigny, figures as one of 
the best. This is a kind almost unknown to gardeners 
under that name, although it may have very recently 
got into commerce here under some other designation. 
The great merit of the White Chevigny lies not so 
much in its fine white, solid, crisp eating heads as in 
its long-standing character. I found last summer, in 
the heat and exceeding drought of July, that it stood 
wonderfully, far better than any other Cabbage kind. 
Some years ago, when I grew more Lettuces than now, 
I found a strain of the Paris White Cos, named 
Alexandria, to stand wonderfully well also, but these 
long-standing sorts are of necessity bad seeders, 
because in starting so late they neither bloom freely 
nor early enough to ripen seed well. Of course, for 
such purpose it would be wisest to sow seed late in the 
autumn, and save the plants in a frame through the 
winter. That plan, however suitable it may be for 
obtaining early summer Lettuces, will not do for suc- 
cessional cuttings, which must be sown from March 
till June. Kinds, whether of Cos or Cabbage, are 
most severely tested when sown in April and May, as 
they are expected to heart in during the greatest heat 
of summer, and if they will not stand, but bolt to seed 
ere they have hearted, they are useless. Too often 
such bad strains are left to produce seed, and thus an 
inferior variety is largely perpetuated.—Z). 
