552 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
May 2nd, 1885. 
MATHIS’ ©AMIN. 
THE GREENHOUSE. 
Turning Plants Out-of-doors. —There are many 
things in the greenhouse now that may with safety be 
turned out-of-doors, where, if they receive proper care 
and attention, they will do better than they will if left 
under glass, as they will make a more steady growth 
and flower more freely when brought in again. This 
applies to nearly all the hardy subjects, but in the 
case of those having young tender shoots already 
made, shelter is needed for a time longer, till the 
weather gets warmer, and when they are turned out 
they should have a sheltered position or the foliage 
will suffer from the sun and wind acting upon it. 
The way to grow Solanums well is to plant them 
out, after they have been pruned back, in some open 
spot, where they will soon break again and bloom 
and set a fine crop of berries. Spirasas and Callas, 
being water-loving subjects, do best in shallow 
trenches, as there they can easily be flooded and 
kept wet, and therefore preparations should be made 
for planting them out, before doing which they may 
be divided if it is desired to increase the stock or 
limit the size of the plants. 
Chrysanthemums may yet be propagated, and 
cuttings or Shoots taken off put in quite a month 
later will make useful stuff for furnishing in small 
pots if the points of the shoots are not stopped or 
only nipped out once just after they are rooted, when 
they may be either planted out or grown on in pots, 
the former plan giving the least trouble, as by running 
the spade round them any time during the summer 
they lift well in the autumn, and may be potted then 
without feeling much check. Those intended to make 
large specimens ought now to be potted on without 
further delay, the soil most suitable being a good 
holding loam, mixed with a little rotten manure, or 
have a sprinkling of one or other of the many 
Artificial Manures now sold for such purposes. 
Clay’s Fertilizer is as good as any, and a dust of this 
scattered over the top of the ball of any pot-bound plant 
works wonders in its appearance, and being inodorous 
and so handy for application it can easily be used by 
anyone without the least unpleasantness in the air of 
a room, and is therefore the thing for amateurs to 
keep by them. Clarified soot-water'is also an excellent 
stimulant, and may be applied frequently, with the 
best effect, if weak ; and as worms dislike it, it is of 
the more value by helping to keep the soil free from 
such plagues. 
PITS AND FRAMES. 
Bedding Plants. —The frames will now be full to 
overflowing with bedding-stuff, which should be gradu¬ 
ally hardened by having the lights drawn off for a few 
hours during the warmest part of the day, and shut¬ 
ting them when the weather is not so favourable, 
by doing which the tissues of the leaves will become 
firm, and the plants in first-rate condition for turning 
out when the time comes for putting them into the 
beds. Half-hardy annuals, such as Zinnias, Asters, 
and Salpiglossis, may still be sown, as they will 
be quite soon enough, and plants raised thus late are 
often the best, as they grow on throughout without 
feeling a check. Any that are up and large enough 
to handle should be pricked out, and quick-growing 
bedding-stuff, such as Lobelias, Ageratums,Heliotrope, 
and others of that class, may be served in the same 
way, as they lift from the soil with good balls and 
do far better than when pinched in pots and often 
suffering from being dry at the roots. 
BEDS AND BORDERS. 
Bedding Out : Box Edgings.— The time is now 
near at hand for these to be filled with their summer 
occupants, and to be ready for putting the plants out 
advantage should be taken of the first rain that comes 
to soften the turf to get the edgings trimmed, which 
ought now to be done with the edging-knife, which 
will leave them sharp and clean, ready for running 
the shears after, and these will then be sufficient 
to keep them clipped and in excellent order for the 
rest of the season. If the edgings are of Box, and 
that has become too large and heavy, it may be 
reduced now with safety, as when cut thus early, 
before growth commences, the old stems break again 
and soon become refurnished with fresh foliage. Box 
may also be relaid, and if at all thick the surplus 
will generally pay for the job, as one yard will do 
three when it is pulled to pieces, and jobbing gardeners 
have always a demand for spare stuff. 
Walks.— With the edgings in order, walks should 
be put in trim by just breaking the surface so as to 
destroy weeds and moss, but not deep enough to 
displace and bring up the large stones, or they will 
be a source of bother and discomfort for the rest 
of the season. As soon as the weather has destroyed 
the weeds a thin sprinkling of fresh bright gravel, 
that will not bind, should be put on and rolled down, 
and this will give a finish to the place and make 
it look neat all the summer. 
THE FRUIT GARDEN. 
Watering Fruit Trees : Insects on Peaches.— 
The dry weather has been telling severely on fresh- 
planted trees, all of which should be heavily mulched 
and watered to prevent contraction of the bark through 
shrivelling, which does much harm to the plants as 
the cells close and the rind becomes bound, causing 
the buds to start feebly and the growth to be slow 
and poor. The cold, too, has acted injuriously on 
Peaches and Nectarines, which are curled through fly 
getting on to the leaves, as is generally the case when 
the progress of the trees is slow, and unless these 
parasites are destroyed the shoots will soon be crippled 
to such an extent as to spoil them. To assail the 
enemy successfully, the best way is to finish the 
disbudding of the trees right off, and then set to work 
at the fly by wetting them with tobacco-water and 
dusting them with tobacco-powder, after which a 
heavy syringing should be given, or the garden 
engine used, to wash them all off. 
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 
Protecting Potatos. —As yet we cannot consider 
ourselves safe from frost, and therefore any Potatos 
that show their tops through the ground should be 
watched, and protected if an unfavourable change 
takes place in the weather. The readiest way of 
affording the necessary shelter is to run the hoe 
alongside of the rows and earth the Potatos up, but 
this should be done early in the day that the soil may 
become dry before night, as in its damp state it 
attracts frosts and conducts it to the young shoots 
just under its surface. 
Peas. —Although early Peas do well up to this time 
sown in the ordinary way, those for coming in later 
require special preparation and treatment to enable 
them to stand the hot weather. The best course, 
unless the ground has been already very deeply 
cultivated, is t® dig trenches, after the manner of 
those for Celery, and heavily manure the bottom, 
when they should be nearly filled up again and the 
Peas sown, which, by having so much root-room and 
good food below, will grow strong and set their 
blossoms freely and produce a fine crop. 
Scarlet Runners also like the same kind of treat¬ 
ment, and in arranging for these and Peas the rows 
should be at wide distances apart, 10 ft. being the 
proper space for them, as then the Celery, which does 
best in partial shade, may be planted between, by 
managing in which way the one helps the other. 
Beet and Carrots.— If these are not yet sown, no 
time should be lost in getting them in, but in pre¬ 
paring the ground avoid undecomposed manure, the 
best dressing for both being a sprinkling of soot, and, 
in addition to this, the Beet will be benefited by 
having a little salt dug in, and the same where 
Cabbage, Broccoli, or any of the Brassicas are to be 
planted. 
Planting Winter Greens. —The great thing with 
most of these, and especially with Brussels Sprouts, 
is to get them out early, and before they are drawn, 
which being so, drills should be drawn ready that the 
plants may be put into them immediately after rains 
and while the weather is dull, as then they receive 
little or no check, but start on and get hold at once. 
Cauliflower and Lettuce that are approaching the 
turning-in stage will be greatly benefited by frequent 
applications of liquid manure, and to keep up a supply 
of both it will be necessary to sow and plant at regular 
intervals, according to the demand, and the same with 
Turnips, Horn Carrots, Radishes, and Spinach, 
a row or small bed of each of which ought to be 
sown every fortnight. As soon as the plants are up, 
it will do them much good to give them a slight 
dressing of soot or wood ashes, which will stimulate 
them and ward off the fly. Beds of Onions, or indeed 
most garden crops, are benefited by a similar appli¬ 
cation, and all should be hoed between, whether weeds 
are showing or not, but care must be taken that only 
the surface is just stirred, or the young plants will get 
disturbed and checked in their growth. 
Parsley and other Herbs are always in demand, 
and as the first-named and Thyme make good edgings, 
both may be dibbled in along the sides of paths, but 
Mint, Basil, and Sage should have a bed to themselves. 
-- - - 
CAMELLIAS AT WALTON LEA, 
WARRINGTON. 
The Camellias at this well-kept establishment have 
flowered this spring most profusely, and even yet the 
blossoms may be counted by hundreds, but they are 
not so lasting now as they were about a month ago. 
Then indeed they must have been magnificent. Even 
when I saw them less than three weeks ago there 
were over 8,000 flowers in splendid condition, and 
many buds not then open. It may appear late for 
these flowers, which we are so apt to associate with 
Christmas and New Year’s decorations, but Mr. Kipps 
object is to get them as late as possible, and he has 
hitherto managed to secure this desirable end and 
to obtain most magnificent blooms as well. 
The specimens are planted out in a house entirely 
devoted to Camellias. On the back bed of the house 
are eight plants, perfect in shape, being trained and 
tied in so that they are now true pyramids in form, 
12 ft. high and about 5 ft. 6 ins. in diameter. This 
narrow base arises from the fact that being planted 
some years ago they have now grown until the sides 
touch and the tops are nearly up to the glass. On the 
front bed are ten plants each about 10 ft. high by 
4 ft. 6 ins. in diameter, and each plant almost a 
counter part of its neighbour. Among them are 
plants of Candidissima, De La Reine, several 
specimens of Alba plena, also a couple of Lady Hume’s 
Blush, Jubilee, Chandler’s Elegans, Comtesse Lavinia 
Maggi, Jenny Lind, &c., and Commendatore Betti. 
This plant has been at Walton Lea for no less a 
period than thirteen years, and was obtained originally 
from Mr. Louis Van Houtte. Mr. Kipps finding that 
one of the large plants in the Camellia-house was 
not just to his liking, inarched it -with this showy 
sort, the result being that though this operation was 
performed ten years ago, he has a plant now just as 
large as the finest of the specimens named, 12 ft. by 
5 ft. 6 ins.; this has also been covered with blooms. 
Perhaps the finest plant in the house is a double 
white, just a little the largest plant, but densely covered 
with blooms well set in splendid foliage. On the 
trellis work on the back and end walls are several 
good plants, among them being the showy species 
Reticulata, its semi-double flowers being most con¬ 
spicuous ; also a plant of Mathotiana. This latter 
variety succeeds admirably planted out, its large 
flowers of deep crimson colour causing it at once 
to be an object of interest and pleasure. 
In a greenhouse devoted chiefly to soft-wooded 
plants is a large specimen of Clianthus Dampierii. 
This is planted out in the border under the stage, and it 
has grown well and flowers very freely; in fact so quickly 
does it spread and take up more room than can be 
spared, that the pruning knife is very freely used 
to keep it in reasonable bounds. Covered with its 
curious racemes of bright orange-scarlet flowers it 
is at once an object of interest, and a most singular 
one too.— W. Swan, Fallowficld. 
—— 
The Date Palm in India. —We believe that it is 
mainly to the exertions of Dr. Bonavia, Etawah, that 
we are indebted for the introduction of the true species 
of Date Palm into this country, and we are glad to 
learn that its cultivation is likely to be attended with 
so much success in Oudh. In Bengal, unfortunately, 
there is no probability of its ever being induced to 
produce fruit: many attempts have been made to 
introduce it, and plants will grow vigorously for years, 
in fact until they are sufficiently matured to bloom— 
but no sooner is the infloresence produced than they 
invariably succumb .—Indian Gardener. 
