470 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
same a good dressing of thoroughly decayed manure, 
for although the Violet grows wild and flowers 
naturally on sunny banks and in comparatively dry 
situations, the cultivated sorts amply repay liberal 
treatment. In digging, have the soil broken up very 
fine on the surface, and made sufficiently firm to leave 
no hollow places underneath, after which planting 
may be commenced. 
For the earliest planting choose those that have 
been in flower the greater part of the winter, and 
which are now nearly past. Lift these a few at a 
time, divide them and take off with a heel any 
runners that may be formed, rejecting all the 
blind and exhausted crowns as the work pro¬ 
gresses. Then proceed to plant them in the ground 
prepared for their reception, in rows 1 ft. apart and 
about 9 ins. apart in the row. We always use a trow 7 el 
for planting, taking a piece which has roots and a 
couple that have none in the left hand, and w T ith the 
right open a hole by the side of the line in which we 
can place the root and stems of the plants down their 
full depth, generally 4 ins. to 6 ins., holding their 
crowns level with the soil, some of the finest of the 
soil being returned around the roots and stems ; they 
are then made thoroughly firm, and afterwards receive 
a good watering—sufficiently heavy to wet the soil down 
to the bottom of the roots. If the weather is dry the 
plants receive a watering whenever they require it, 
never being allowed to suffer for want of the same 
until they are rooted, when they are better able to take 
care of themselves. 
When the very best results are looked for in the way 
of flowers, and especially when the plants are to be 
transferred to frames in the autumn, they should have 
the runners removed from their sides as fast as they 
appear through the whole of the summer months, so 
as to plump up the crowns of the plants and prevent 
them from making a quantity of useless growth, which 
would only tend to crowd the plants and encourage 
damp, the great enemy of Violets in frames in the 
winter-time. 
As to varieties, there are many, and I think all, or 
at least all that I have tried, are amenable to similar 
treatment to the foregoing. The new variety, Compte 
Brazza, which, except as regards colour, is the 
counterpart of that universal favourite Marie Louise, 
being white instead of lavender-blue, should be in 
every collection. Marie Louise I should name as an 
indispensable variety, and the Neopolitan might also be 
added, for although we have discarded it ourselves, it 
i s still a great favourite and does well with some ; 
ndeed, it was only the other day that I heard a 
grower give preference to that before my choice, 
Marie Louise. Among single blues, I may mention, 
as desirable kinds to grow, Oderatissima, The Czar, 
and Victoria Begin®. 
Violets may be successfully planted from the 
beginning of April to the end of May, but as the sun 
gets more power, and the ground gets hotter, the 
greater is the risk attending transplanting as the 
season advances.— C. Warden. 
WORKING CLAY SOILS. 
No doubt “Sussex” (p. 462) would find draining 
his ground productive, but his drains must be shallow 
if his subsoil be clay, or otherwise he will not materi¬ 
ally affect the nature of his stiff surface-soil. The 
drains should be about 20 ft. apart, and 20 ins. to 
24 ins. in depth, running of course into one mam drain 
about 30 ins. in depth. On each line of pipes should 
be laid some heather or gorse if obtainable, to keep 
the soil about the pipes more open. As to the 
cropping and working of the surface, it must be 
clearly understood that after the drains are put 
in the whole should be half-trenched, that is, say 
10 ins. of the surface laid over and the 10 ins. of subsoil 
below broken up, but not brought to the top. Then 
into the surface-soil should be worked plenty of short 
horse-manure, not wet, heavy stuff, but fresh material, 
with a good proportion of straw in it. 
The soil needs to be kept open, and any kind of 
fibrous matter will greatly help to that end. Boad- 
gathered manure with an admixture of sand, and the 
sweepings of town-streets, make capital stuff for 
mixing with stiff soils. So also will half-rotten leaf- 
soil help greatly. As a rule, it is wise not to work 
stiff soils during the rainy months of the year. It is 
always found that soil of this nature, from which 
crops have been taken in the autumn, work best if 
left untouched until planting-time again in March 
and April. If the soil be moved during the winter, 
and heavy rains follow, it runs together and becomes 
very hardened. Beally it is very difficult to change 
the nature or texture of clay soils except by years of 
labour and constant dressings.— D. 
Your correspondent, “ Sussex,” is in a pitiable 
condition with such a “ clay-bed” for a garden. He 
cannot do better than have it thoroughly drained, but 
1 would not advise him to put the drains deeper than 
2 ft. If there is an outlet for the drain-water he had 
better begin with the draining at once. I should then 
recommend him to sub-trench the plot—merely 
turning over the top spit and breaking up the lower 
one without bringing it up. He must not be dis¬ 
heartened at first, for it is surprising how quickly such 
soils alter sometimes when the surplus water is let 
out. His next plan should be to get all the fresh soil, 
road-side rubbish, ashes, and anything of a light 
nature, even sand, and spread over the surface, 
afterwards working it in with a Canterbury hoe. He 
had better work at this plot till May than risk a crop 
for the sake of having one of some kind. By May it 
will probably work pretty well, and it will then be a 
good time to get in a lot of autumn and winter greens 
-—Bed Cabbage, Savoys, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, 
and Kale; Broad Beans, Scarlet Bunners, and late 
Peas ; also a few rows of Celery, and a bed for winter 
Onions, to be sown later on. He may work the dung 
in for all these, except the Celery and Onions, by 
opening out a shallow trench where each row will be 
planted, and spreading the manure along it, digging it 
down into the bottom of the trench. Onions will do 
with less manure in autumn than in spring, and a 
little night-soil or other strong manure worked in 
early, and the plot gone over a few times with the 
Canterbury hoe, will probably make a good bed for 
them. The Celery trenches need not be more than 
one spit deep, and he must half fill them with rotten 
manure and some of the best soil he can get, in 
proportion of about half of each—mixed together. Be 
careful about ever bringing any of the sub-soil on to 
the surface, that will be bad in this case; but never 
miss an opportunity of collecting turf, road-side soil, 
ashes, or such things to spread over the surface. In 
time “ Sussex ” may have the credit of saying that he 
has succeeded in turning his “ clay-bed ” into a good 
garden.— Abel. 
SPIR^A JAPONICA. 
My object in writing this paper is not to call atten¬ 
tion to the great beauty or usefulness of this plant, 
because on that score it is already universally known 
and appreciated, but I think it is not saying too much 
in its favour when I state that, during the long time 
it is in season, scarcely any kind of floral arrangement 
is carried out in which its light feathery sprays do not 
occupy a prominent position. Besides, its leaves are 
also most useful for mixing with cut-flowers, at a 
time of the year when well-seasoned Fern fronds are 
not very plentiful. This Spir®a is one of the easiest 
plants in cultivation to grow moderately well. Yet I 
am convinced that a little more attention bestowed on 
several important details of its culture would doubly 
repay the extra trouble by the immense superiority of 
the plants over those grown under ordinary conditions. 
My intention is therefore to describe, as well as I 
can, the conditions under which the best plants I have 
seen were grown. The two cardinal points to be 
observed in the management of these plants are—(1) 
to start with large, well-ripened crowns, and (2) to 
give an abundance of water, and stimulating food 
during the growing season. As we have arrived at 
the period when all Spirreas in pots have started into 
growth, we will commence our special attention to 
to them at this stage. They are by no means particu¬ 
lar as to the temperature in which they are grown 
doing well in cold pits, green-house or forcing-houses, 
but I have found from experience it is better not to 
subject them to a high temperature—higher than 60 
degs., and one varying between 50 degs. and 60 degs., 
according to the weather, is the most suitable, but 
they will enjoy a rise of 15 degs. or 20 degs. in the 
day-time, during bright weather, with an abundance 
of air and plenty of atmospheric moisture, 
March 28th, 1885. 
I know of no structures more suited to their growth 
than vineries, from the time they are started till the 
gradual development of the Vine foliage necessitates 
the removal of the plants to houses that were started 
later. Watering, as I have before stated, is a most 
important operation in the cultivation of these mois¬ 
ture-loving Spiraeas, and no ordinary methods of 
performing it is sufficient to produce the best results. 
When they have started into active growth they 
should have a good soaking once or twice daily, 
according to the weather, and by the time the flower- 
spikes are seen pushing up among the foliage the pots 
will be crammed with roots. Then unremitting atten¬ 
tion with the water-pot, and constant feeding with 
liquid-manure, must be the order of the day. Do not 
allow them to get in the least dry at the roots, but 
water to prevent them from getting dry. I have 
frequently watered plants four times a day in bright 
weather. Liquid-manure should be given at one 
watering, every alternate day; and I have found 
nothing better for the purpose than that made from 
cow-manure, with an addition of a little soot. 
As soon as the plants have done flowering, those 
that have been forced early should.be placed in cold 
pits to harden off, but later in the season they can all 
be placed in the open air, where they should still be 
kept well supplied with water at the roots. When the 
flowering period of the whole stock that have been 
grown in pots is over, they should be planted out in 
ground specially prepared for their reception, by 
having it deeply dug, well manured, and worked 
into good friable condition. A border at the foot of a 
■wall is a good place for them, as they are less liable to 
be injured by spring frosts in such a position. Before 
planting, the clump should be divided into pieces of 
various sizes, according to the sizes of the pots in 
which they are found most useful, making allowance 
for the size the pieces will grow to before being lifted. 
It is important to have them of the right size when 
potted up, because, if they have to be divided, it spoils 
the shape of the plants and sometimes results in the 
flower-spikes withering before they begin to expand. 
Small pieces with two or three crowns at planting- 
time will make nice clump for use in 4-in. pots, when 
the time for lifting arrives, which should be about 
eighteen months from the time of planting; those that 
are flowered in pots should have one season’s rest 
before being used in that way again. 
In planting, the crowns should be left slightly above 
the soil, so as to be exposed to the ripening influence 
of sun and air. Deep planting will never give satis¬ 
factory results with this plant. Neither should they 
be planted closely together, for they require plenty of 
room for their foliage to develop in order to produce 
good crowns. The best time for potting up the clump 
is November (when the foliage is dying down), using a 
compost of good loam, three parts, and one of well- 
rotted manure. They can then be placed in cold pits 
or plunged in ashes'till wanted for starting into growth 
in a gentle heat, but house-grown Spiraeas do not 
start readily into growth if taken into heat before the 
latter part of December or early in January.— H. 
Dunkin, The Gardens, Longford Castle. 
—>— 
HEPATICAS. 
What with sharp frosts, cold winds and mists, 
occasionally alternated by warm sunny days, my 
Hepaticas, planted out under a wall having a west 
aspect, are having a rough time of it. But they 
flower away merrily, taking cold, fog, and sun in turn, 
though the combined influence of the three certainly 
impairs their beauty. I have but two varieties 
in the open air—the double red and the single blue- 
nice strong clumps, planted in a deep, rich loam, in a 
bed specially made up for them. They were here all 
last summer, w T ith the sun shining down upon them, 
literally roasting the plants, but a layer of cocoa- 
fibre served to keep them cool to some extent; and 
though I had feared the worst, they have flowered 
freely, and are already sending up dense tufts of 
leaves. If the pretty Hepatica triloba was being 
introduced just now for the first time, hundreds would 
be wanting to grow it; but beautiful as the varieties 
are, they are now almost, if not quite, among the 
neglected plants, but, sad to say, in good com¬ 
pany. 
My choice varieties are in pots, in a cold frame. 
I have some strong plants of the double blue now 
