442 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 14th, 1S85. 
subjected to heat for the purpose of propagation. 
The following will be found most useful varieties 
for general purposes, Anne Boleyn, Clove Pink, Derby 
Day, Fimbriata alba, Mrs. Moore, and last but not 
least Mrs. Sinkins. This is one of the most beautiful 
creamy whites I know of, almost equalling in size 
many of the Carnations. It has also the great 
advantage of being perpetual. These are by no 
means all the varieties that are worthy of cultivation, 
but space for those named could at least be found in 
most gardens. Anne Boleyn and Lord Lyons are very 
large flowering varieties, but are neither so dwarf nor 
so floriferous as some of the other kin ds named.— 
C. Warden. 
Fruit Culture under Glass.—The Vines in the 
Muscat-house, which were started the second week in 
February, should now have their shoots tied up to 
the trellis in their proper position, and afterwards 
be disbudded, leaving the strongest and best-placed 
shoots at from 15 ins. to 18 ins. apart diagonally on 
either side of the main stems. Discontinue the 
syringing of the Vines, but damp the surface of the 
border, pathways, and walls two or three times a day, 
to promote a genial, growing atmosphere, and at 
the same time to keep red-spider from attacking the 
foliage. The shoots showing on the main stem, 
between the ground and the trellis, should be reduced 
to five or six and be stopped at one joint, as also 
should be the sub-laterals, and those which afterwards 
appear should be pinched close back. These remarks 
are applicable to Vines of every age, and should be 
observed from the time the Vines are planted, so as to 
insure that part of the stem below the trellis being as 
thick as that furnished with shoots above it. Vines 
now swelling their crops will be considerably benefited 
by being top-dressed with Beeson’s Manure, at the 
rate of 3 lbs. to a bushel of compost, the virtue of 
which will be washed down to the roots when the 
border is watered. 
Stbawbebries. —In order to maintain a regular 
supply of ripe Strawberries from this date,’until they 
can be gathered out-of-doors, a good batch of plants 
in various stages of growth must be at hand, as well 
as a suitable place to grow them in. Bearing this in 
mind, every week or ten days a couple of hundred 
plants (more or less according to circumstances) 
should be taken to the potting-shed to have the bad 
leaves and a little of the surface-soil removed, and 
some pulverized horse-droppings and loam added as a 
top-dressing. The pots then, having had the drainage 
made efficient, should be plunged in a bed of 
leaves, within a few inches of the glass, in a pit from 
which frost can be excluded. They should then have 
some water to settle the new soil, after •which further 
applications will probablynot be needed more than once 
or twice before the flower-stems appear, as they 
will do in a week or two if the pit is kept close. The 
pots should then be washed and placed on the shelves in 
one of the forcing-houses, where a somewhat airy and 
dry atmosphere should be aimed at until the fruit is 
set, when these conditions should be reversed. 
Peach-tbees. — Syringe the trees in the early- 
house morning and afternoon with tepid water, and 
raise the day-temperature a few degrees, but 50 degs. 
at night will be ample for the present. As soon as 
the shoots have attained the length of a couple of 
inches, tie them down a little, and see to the disbudding 
of those in successional-houses, in the manner set 
forth at p. 378. Give daily attention to the Grape- 
room, with a view to removing forthwith any bad 
berries that may be in the bunches.— H. W. Ward. 
Well-kept Apples.—At the meeting of the Fruit 
Committee on Tuesday there was quite a remarkable 
display of Apples for the second week in March. 
That well-known exhibitor, Mr. Sidney Ford, gardener, 
Leonardslee, Horsham, sent a collection of some fifty 
dishes of such a character as is seldom seen at this 
season, every sample being as fresh and sound, and 
the colours as bright, as though it were only Sep¬ 
tember or October. Specially fine were his samples 
of Barcelona Pearmain, Mere de Manage, Norfolk 
Beefing, Emperor Alexander, Wadhurst Pippin, 
Blenheim Orange, Golden Noble, Alfriston, Bedford¬ 
shire Foundling, Bess Pool, Ashbridge Pine Apple 
Pippin, Scarlet Nonpareil, Cornish Gilliflower, Cockle 
Pippin, and Golden Beinette. Messrs. T. Rivers & 
Son, Sawbridgeworth, sent a fine collection of about 
eighty dishes, amongst which were conspicuous several 
American 'varieties, such as The Baldwin, King of 
Tomkin's County, and South Carolina Pippin, and 
fine examples of such well-known good kinds as 
Cox’s Orange Pippin, Reinette du Canada, Lord 
Burghley, Wadhurst Pippin, Cornish Aromatic, 
Nelson Codlin, Herefordshire Pearmain, and York¬ 
shire Greening. A handsome seedling Apple, 
resembling the Golden Spire in form, but of a rich 
crimson colour, was shown by Mr. A. Outram, 
7, Moore Park Road, Fulham. 
Planting a patch of Strawberries.—In reply 
to “ An Anxious One ” (p. 430), I may say that it 
is not too late for planting Strawberries, though I 
would not advise him to let the young plants bear 
fruit this year. He had better cut off the flower 
spikes as soon as the first flowers are open, as that 
will greatly strengthen his plants for a good crop next 
year. Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury is generally a 
favourite variety, being a heavy bearer of large richly- 
flavoured fruit. The best soil for Strawberries is a 
rather firm, brown, or yellowish loam ; hot fight soils 
do not suit them so well. If the ground has any 
manure in it and has been recently dug, it will be 
better not to dig it again. Stretch the fine across the 
plot, and, with the spade thrust in straight down, turn 
out the soil on one side, leaving the other side firm 
and upright; make the holes 15 ins. apart. In laying 
in the plants spread the roots out, and keep the 
crown of the plant just on a level with the surface, 
return the soil and tread in firmly. Move the line 
15 ins. and proceed as before. Afterwards give a good 
mulching all over the plot of well-rotted dung. After 
these plants have borne one crop, every alternate 
plant may be removed, and the next year every other 
row can also come out, which will allow them a good 
distance apart for bearing heavily and standing for 
several years. Keep down weeds with the hoe, but 
never disturb the roots of the plants by digging. Trim 
off the runners as early as possible in the autumn, 
and mulch over again with fresh littery manure. If 
the soil suits, the following crop will be a good one, 
and “ show fruit ” may be obtained. Strawberry 
ground must be firm, and good strong plants should 
be secured.— Antherica. 
Seasonable Work in the Plant-houses : 
lx the Stove. —If due regard is paid to the arrange¬ 
ment of plants after they have been potted, not only 
may the space be economized, but the plants will get 
the positions best suited to their requirements. We 
like to keep each subject as much to itself as possible, 
and to take care that those requiring the highest 
temperature are placed in the hottest part of the 
house, while those requiring to be exposed to the sun 
are so arranged that they can get the full benefit of it, 
without having to expose other plants that require 
more shade. As there is generally a greater variety of 
subjects grown in the stove than in any other 
department, it is there that it requires the greatest 
consideration, if the most is to be made of the space, 
and especially if the plants are to be grown so that 
they can be used as table-plants, or for any other 
purpose which demands that each plant should be 
perfectly sy mm etrical, and fit to stand by itself. 
In keeping each class of plants as much together as 
possible, there is also the advantage of being able to 
water and syringe each group according to their require¬ 
ments, which is impossible when different subjects are 
intermixed. Poinsettias should be looked to, and, as 
soon as they begin to start into growth, should be 
placed in a position where they will make good strong 
growth for cuttings, but it will be better to keep them 
dormant for some time yet, if possible. Thyrsacanthus 
rutilans :—As soon as these have done flowering, the 
tops may be taken off for cuttings, which will root 
freely in light sandy soil, if kept close, where there i 3 
a little bottom-heat. As soon as they are ready, they 
should be potted on and kept growing freely through 
the summer. 
Mignonette for Winter-flowering.—Many of 
your readers may like to know how to grow Mignonette 
so as to have it in flower at Christmas, I therefore send 
you a note on my practice. First of all I obtain my 
seeds from a first-class seedsman, and the sorts I grow 
are Miles’ Hybrid Spiral, and the variety of Reseda 
odorata called Matchet. The seeds are sown on July 
24th in the following manner:—I select two dozen 
16-sized pots and wash them thoroughly clean, then 
put in a depth of 24 ins. or 3 ins. of crocks for drain¬ 
age, and fill up with a compost made of three parts of 
good maiden loam to one of leaf-soil, with a good 
sprinkling of silver sand, the rougher portion being 
put in first. The soil is then rammed down as firm as 
possible with a potting stick, the pots being filled to 
within an inch of the top. The surface is made smooth 
the seeds sown thinly, and covered with about a 
quarter of an inch deep of the finer portion of the 
compost. The pots are then watered and put on a 
bed of ashes in a cold frame, which is shaded while 
exposed to bright sunshine. In about nine or ten 
days the seeds will germinate, when air should be 
admitted freely, especially at night to induce a good 
steady growth. If the seeds come up too thickly, thin 
them out to about eight plants in each pot, and put a 
small stick to each for support. Give air freely when 
the weather is favourable, and remove to the green¬ 
house on the approach of frost.— Geo. Jones, Ever?field, 
Grove Parli, Lee, Kent. 
A Neat Edging of Annuals.—During the past 
summer I was much struck with the neatness and 
floriferous character of a simple edging to a border 
about 200 ft. long, composed of the following popular 
hardy annuals:—Nemophila insignis; red and white 
irginian Stock ; Clarkia integripetala nana alba ; 
Saponaria calabrica, and Saponaria calabrica alba. 
The seed of these was all mixed together and sown in 
a broad drill, the seed just covered, the last week in 
March. In May the entire row was gay with the pink 
and white flowers of the Virginian Stock for about a 
month, this was succeeded by the blue and white of the 
Nemophila, the Stocks being pulled up as soon as they 
became past their best, and this bloomed on through 
June, when it was removed and the Clarkia came into 
flower through July, and this in turn was succeeded 
by the charming compact edging of deep pink and 
white of the two Saponarias, which were in full 
bloom up to November, when the frost cut them down. 
Sufficient seed for a border 100 ft. long of the six 
annuals named can be procured for eighteen pence, 
and an edging of continuous bloom secured from the 
middle of May until frost sets in.— J. Knight, Bihton. 
Hardy Primroses.—While the markets have 
been so abundantly supplied with Violets, it seems 
strange that Primroses, up to the present time, should 
have been so scarce. Yet there are plenty in bloom 
in the Primrose gardens, if we may judge from a 
delightful sample we have received from Mr. Caudwell, 
The Ivies, Wantage. This enthusiastic florist has 
long made the Primrose, and other hardy florists’ 
flowers, a speciality, and by careful selection during 
many years, has acquired in every respect a first-class 
strain. The charming blooms before us show a wide 
range of colour, from pure white, through various 
shades of yellow, rose, mauve, and crimson, up to 
maroon. Some are parti-coloured, others of the hose- 
in-hose form, and all are of good size and substance. 
Cheaply-grown Annuals.—If “Nelly” (p. 430) 
can get two old soap-boxes, a few panes of glass, or 
an old window, and a load of fresh stable-manure, 
she may raise a lot of tender and half-hardy annuals, 
which will make her border gay till late in autumn. 
Knock the sides and bottoms out ol the boxes, and 
join the two together to form one large box or frame. 
Set this on the top of the dung, which must first be 
made up into a bed about 1 ft. wider all round than 
the size of the frame. Fill the frame about half-full 
of soil—common garden-soil will hardly do alone—and, 
if leaf-mould or turfy loam cannot be got, road- 
