April 18th, 1885. 
523 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Siebold’s Japan Primrose.— Under the appel¬ 
lation of Primula Sieboldi we have now some lovely 
varieties, the original species of which, or if not the 
original species then some varieties of it, were intro¬ 
duced to us from Japan some years since by Siebold, 
and which for several years were known to us under 
the varying designations of P. cortusoides amocna, and 
also as simply P. amcena. Finally, because neither 
of these designations were correct, we took to the 
appellation of P. Sieboldi, thus honouring the intro¬ 
ducer of them. These beautiful Japan Primroses 
seem to excel all others in elegance and beauty, 
rivalling the tender chinensis, which now ranks 
amongst the most valuable of our winter greenhouse 
flowers. 
The Sieboldi Primrose is esteemed hardy, yet is 
not so absolutely, because it will suffer if fully 
exposed to severe frosts and heavy rainfalls, and 
especially is liable to rot from snow-water. It also 
suffers from summers of more than usual heat and 
drought, hence it is well to grow it in pots or pans in 
a cool house or frame during the winter and blooming 
season, and then to stand the plants out in a fairly 
cool position during the summer, to avoid thrip and 
consequent early loss of leafage. The habit is strictly 
herbaceous ; the foliage, which springs direct from the 
rhizome roots, dying down late in the summer, and 
during winter the roots remain entirely at rest if in a 
natural temperature. 
The plants are increased by division, the clumps of 
roots being broken up early in the winter, the strongest 
crowns selected and replanted up in other pots, "and 
the weaker crowns placed thickly in shallow pans, 
to develop into strong ones after a season’s growth. 
If a dozen or eighteen be placed in an 8-in. pot, a 
good cluster of foliage and bloom will be obtained in 
April, and these clumps may remain in the same pots 
for two years. When that rule is adopted it is well 
to have some clumps to break up each season. There 
are many beautiful kinds, the flowers being both 
smooth-edged and pleasingly cut or laciniated; the 
colours are chiefly lavender, purple, white, and red, 
in numerous tints and variations. 
‘ ‘ Snowball ’ ’ Mignonette.— This is an American 
novelty which, according to the Editor of The 
Gardeners' Monthly , is of more than ordinary merit. 
It was raised in the summer of 1882 by Mr. G. Knoll, 
of Bethlehem, and is described as being compact in 
habit, pyramidal, and floriferous, the spikes of double 
white blossoms being carried well above the foliage, 
which is a deep glossy green. Unlike many of the 
so-called white varieties, which have really been of a 
dull grey colour, and having little fragrance, this sort 
is pure white, very full and double, and possessed of 
the true Mignonette odour. 
-- 
Spiraea Aruncus astilboides.— Among the 
good new hardy' herbaceous perennials that have 
come to the front during the last few years, the 
subject of this note takes high rank, and deservedly 
so, for its beauty is undeniable. It is a hardy 
Japanese plant—a dwarf form of the fine Spiraa 
Aruncus, introduced by Mr. Bull from the Alpine 
provence of Nambu, in the north of Nippon, some 
five or six years ago. It grows to the height of 
about 2 ft., the stems being clothed with triternate 
leaves, and terminating with branched panicles of 
showy plume-like white flowers. In the open border 
it flowers during the summer months, and is a 
valuable plant for cutting, but it is as a forcing plant 
in the early spring months that we should like to see 
it more generally grown. Being a free grower and 
a free bloomer, it lends itself well to pot culture, 
and might with great advantage be grown with the 
popular S. japonica. 
Removing Gas-tar from Hot-water Pipes.— A very 
simple method of doing this is thus described by a 
New Jersey correspondent of the American Gardeners' 
Monthly If a thick coat of whitewash of lime be 
put on, after scraping off as much of the tar as 
possible, the lime will absorb all the rest, and if one 
coat will not do it, two or three surely will. The 
lime has a great affinity for the tar, and will absorb it 
all but,, unless the tar is put on the inside, when this 
plan will not answer. 
The Kitchen Gardener’s Calendar. —Planting: 
Advantage must be taken of growing showers (when 
they come) to make good plantings of Cauliflower, 
Cabbage, and Lettuce plants. Also Brussels Sprouts, 
which should be planted in rows from 2 ft. to 2 ft. G ins. 
asunder, and the same distance apart in the rows in 
rather shallow soil, say from 12 ins. to 15 ins. deep, 
where the plants will make a dwarf, sturdy growth, 
and close compact Sprouts, in striking contrast to the 
large loose ones produced by plants which have been 
set in deep rich soil. 
Scarlet Runners.— If long Bean-sticks, say from 
12 ft. to 20 ft. long, can be procured as easily as the 
8 ft. long ones, which are generally used for supports 
for the haulm, plant now one row from 30 yds. to 60 yds. 
long, according to the demand for the Beans, in 
a drill running east and west, and 3 ins. or 4 ins. 
deep, and a second row two months later in front 
(south) of the first row. As soon as the runners come 
up, and have had a little soil drawn up to them on 
either side, the sticks should be stuck firmly in the 
ground, 1 ft. apart, on either side of the same, and be 
braced together by a line of Bean-sticks fastened 
longitudinally on either side of the upright sticks, at 
6 ft. or 7 ft. from the ground, by means of cross-ties 
made of tarred string, by which means the rows of 
sticks are made secure. Instead of stopping the 
Runners, as is generally done, with a view to hastening 
the formation of the pods, they should be allowed to 
grow uninterruptedly, and so cover their allotted space, 
thereby prolonging considerably the supply of Beans, 
inasmuch as the individual plants yield a succession 
of Beans from bottom to top until cut away by frost, 
the finest Beans being on the top. 
Garden Work. —See to the earthing up of Cauli¬ 
flower and Cabbage plants, and rows of Peas and 
Broad Beans. The former should be staked, and then 
have a good mulching of rotten dung put on either 
side the rows, which will act as a manure as well as 
prevent the soil from getting too dry. Beans are 
benefited by the same treatment. This done, it will 
be advisable, on light soils, to give both crops a good 
watering at the roots. Make a vigorous use of the 
Dutch hoe, not only between young crops, but where- 
ever weeds appear, an operation for which the weather 
which we have been having has been very favourable. 
Potatos coming through the soil should have a little of 
the latter drawn up to them, and a slight protection 
in the shape of fern or straw afforded them when there 
is likely to be frost. Seakale, which has been covered 
with long shallow boxes and leaves, should have the 
latter removed as soon as all the “ Kale ” of table 
quality has been cut,’and the boxes be taken off a week 
later, when they should be stored away in a dry place 
for use another year.— II. W. Ward, Longford Castle, 
Wilts. 
Ellam’s Early Dwarf Spring Cabbage.— 
I do not think that too much can be said in praise of 
this valuable variety, not only on account of its extreme 
earliness, but for its delicious flavour; and the small 
amount of room in which one can grow a few hundred 
plants, should be enough to recommend it to all who 
have only a small patch of ground at their disposal. 
From seed sown on July 12th last year we have 
been cutting nice firm heads since March 24th ; they 
were planted in a warm part of the kitchen garden 
(protected from the North and East winds by a wall), 
as soon as large enough to handle. I anticipate being 
able to cut and have them cleared off before the other 
varieties turn in. I must add that out of four 
hundred plants put out only five have bolted, thus 
proving that sowing early will not cause a great per¬ 
centage to run to seed.— T. Griffin, Davenport, Bridg¬ 
north. 
->$<- 
Planting Potatos. — “ Scribo’s ” method of 
planting Potatos, as described at p. 507, is but 
additional evidence, were any needed, to show how 
very accommodating is the tuber to varying methods of 
treatment. We may easily gather information of a 
dozen diverse modes of planting, all held by those 
who use or recommend them to be the best, and 
though it seems impossible to reconcile all the 
methods, yet all seem best in their respective 
districts. “ Scribo’s ” plan has been practically 
tested by me many times, with this difference, and 
it is trifling, that I have drawn shallow drills, as if 
for Peas, beside a line first, and have laid the tubers 
into them. That plan differs only in an infinitesimal 
degree from the other plan of laying the tubers on the 
surface of the soil and covering them. I have not 
employed ploughs to cover, but forks, throwing the 
soil over on to the sets from either side of the drill, 
thus producing about the same thing as “Seribo” 
describes. If I have not employed that method of 
late, it is because I have' found that the plants too 
soon feel the drought dining hot summers. Here, 
where the sets are buried some 4 ins. to 5 ins., the 
roots and tubers are deeper in the soil and always 
withstand drought longest. Then earthing-up can be 
more completely performed, as there is more soil at 
disposal than is or can be the case when the moulding 
is practically done at planting time. Since Mr. 
Jensen published the results of his protective moulding 
experiments, we have become more alive to the value 
of earthing-up well, and that can only be done 
after the stems are well above ground. “Scribo’s” 
plan is earthing-up, apparently, only, for the sets 
are no deeper in the soil than if planted several 
inches deep at the first. The plan also prevents that 
effective harrowing of large breadths of field-planted 
Potatos which is so essential to produce a well 
pulverized surface preparatory to flat hoeing and 
moulding.— D. 
Early Cauliflowers without Heat. —I quite 
agree with your correspondent, Mr. W. J. Murphy (see 
p. 507), that Cauliflowers can in some localities and 
in seasons like the past be wintered safely without any 
protection whatever. I have here a row of the Early 
London Variety across a quarter in the garden sown 
on August 20th, which have not only escaped the 
past winter’s frost with impunity, but which are much 
more sturdy and better plants than some that were 
taken from them and wintered in a more sheltered 
part of the garden.— T. Griffin, Davenport Gardens, 
Bridgnorth, Shropshire. 
Good Varieties of Hhubarb. —Mr. Barron, 
amongst other good work done at Chiswick, has for 
the last year or two been growing and classifying a 
collection of varieties of Rhubarb, and on Tuesday 
laid before the Fruit Committee half a dozen sorts, to 
one or other of which most of the varieties known in 
gardens may be placed as synonymous. Taking them 
in the order of their earliness, we find the first to be 
the Early Red or Albert, the sort most largely grown 
by growers for market. The second earliest is 
Linneus,or Johnston’s St. Martin, a sort which can be 
easily distinguished from the first-named in having 
the upper side of the stems convex instead of concave, 
as in the former. Next to Linneus comes Buck’s 
Early Red, a small-growing sort, which Mr. Wood- 
bridge has been growing for some time at Syon House, 
and which is followed by Dancer’s Early Red, a 
distinct and good market sort; Hawke’s Champagne, 
a good old sort, which Messrs. G. Bunyard & Co. kept 
true at Maidstone, and which last year was awarded a 
First-Class Certificate ; and Baldey’s Scarlet Defiance, 
a dwarf variety of excellent colour. 
— g—■ -l '— 
The Habits of Aphides. —In their habits aphides 
vary much, some are gregarious, living in very 
numerous congregations, others are solitary, only one 
being found on a leaf. Some are very active, running 
and jumping with great vigour, while others are 
sluggish, rarely moving more than an inch or so in a 
lifetime. The poisonous juices of various plants do 
not appear to affect them in the least, for we find 
them on Foxglove, Henbane, and Tobacco. Cold does 
not appear to affect the internal fluids of plant-lice, 
as they may be seen slowly crawling about, and even 
producing young, when the thermometer registers far 
below freezing. If a colony of aphides once settle 
upon a particular kind of plant, it is found that 
they will almost prefer starvation to a change of 
vegetable juices, though other colonies of their own 
species, and founded from the same brood, are com¬ 
fortably feeding upon the plant to which it is wished 
to transfer them.— Field. 
