THE GARDENING WORLD 
September 29, 1894. 
75 
established it takes rough treatment indeed to kill a 
Cycas, though it is rather apt to fall into a sleepy 
condition after flowering. Old plants yield offsets 
freely from the base of the stem, and these grow 
readily. The two sexes cannot be told apart until 
the flowering period. It would seem, however, that 
there are many more females in cultivation than 
staminate, so that on procuring a plant there is 
abundant grounds for hope that it will prove to be 
one of the former. Somehow, wherever we look, 
the feminine idea is always to the fore. There are 
more women in the community than men. Go to 
the top of the loftiest mountain we may, in order to 
secure a wider prospect, we always see more of 
heaven than of earth. Whichever it may be, for a 
corridor, vestibule, or spacious hall, there is no 
more suitable ornament than a Cycas, especially 
when associated with sculpture. When small, it 
makes a capital window plant, enduring longer than 
anything else, 
" The Cycas revoluta is said to be a native of 
China and Japan, but may perhaps have been 
carried thither from the South Sea Islands, where 
it is undoubtedly wild. It is believed to have been 
brought to this country in 1737, in that case 
probably via Amsterdam, as it was then in George 
Cliffort’s famous garden. The first recorded instance 
of its flowering in England was in 1799, as described 
in the ‘ Transactions of the Linnaean Society,’ vol. 
vi. We next hear of it in 1829, when it was the 
subject of plate 2,963 of the Bo'anical Magazine. 
The first occurrence of bloom near Manchester was 
at Longfidd Hall, in the late autumn of 1859, as 
stated, with a full description in the Manchester 
Guardian of December 22 of that year. Since then 
it has flowered at Bowdon, and in the Botanical 
Gardens, Old Trafford. The name was bestowed 
by Linnaeus, who adopted it because the appellation, 
with the ancient Greeks, of some kind of dwarf 
African Palm. The same great authority classed it 
with the veritable Palms, and to this day it is usually 
called in the vernacular the * Sago Palm.’ ” 
-*f-- 
THE ELK’S HORN FERNS. 
The beautiful genus of epiphytal ferns known as 
the Platyceriums or Elk's Horn Ferns, always 
excite ones admiration when we see them in anything 
like good condition, This is doubtless due, in a 
great measure, to their peculiar habit of growth, and 
the somewhat singular appearance which they 
present. The genus is a small one, for it contains 
only six or seven species, all of which with the 
exception of Platycerium alcicorne, require a stove 
temperature. P. alcicorne is a very good tempered 
plant, for it will grow in either a stove or a green¬ 
house temperature. The fertile fronds of this 
species sometimes exceed a length of two feet. It is 
a native of the temperate regions of Australia, from 
whence it was introduced about the year 1808. P. 
alcicorne majus, a coarser form, is common to 
Polynesia. 
P. grande. —This splendid plant well deserves its 
name, for without doubt it is the handsomest mem¬ 
ber of the genus, and when in viogorous health is 
really a giant in size. It is a native of Northern or 
Tropical Australia. 
P. Hilli, a Queensland introduction, is very 
closely allied to P. alcicorne, although it is generally 
considered to be a distinct species. 
P. aethiopicum is a species hailing from Tropical 
Africa. The fertile fronds of this plant are from 
two to three feet in length, and of more drooping 
habit than those of P. alcicorne, which gives it a 
very graceful appearance. 
P. Wallichii and P. Willinchii are also two 
well known species, natives of Malay Peninsula and 
Java respectively, 
To grow Platyceriums successfully alight position 
must be assigned them in the stove. They may be 
either grown in suitably shaped pans, such as those 
at Kew, in baskets of wood or wire, affixed to the 
wall, or in pockets of virgin cork upon old tree 
stumps. The last method certainly is the most 
picturesque, as very fine effects are produced by the 
long drooping, many branched fertile fronds clothing 
a tree stump. Still, their culture when in this 
position is somewhat difficult. The plants will grow 
exceedingly well for some time after planting, it is 
true, but when the wood commences to decay, a 
fungus is generated that will speedily put an end to 
the career of the plants, unless it is checked. This 
is always difficult of accomplishment. Perhaps 
the best plan of action, however, is to syringe the 
affected parts with a weak solution ofCondy’s Fluid. 
This will kill the fungus, it is true, but unless special 
care is taken it will kill the plants also. In my 
opinion by far the best method of procedure, is to 
keep the plants themselves in as vigorous a state of 
health as possible in which condition they will be 
much better able to resist fungoid attacks than they 
are when in a weakly condition, 
A mixture of good fibrous peat and sphagnum, 
with sand and charcoal is the best compost in which 
to grow them, whilst plenty of water is an absolute 
essential. At no period of their growth must they be 
allowed to get dry or failure will be the natural 
consequence. A light syringing or dewing over¬ 
head will prove of the utmost service to them 
during the spring and summer months. This spray¬ 
ing, however, should only be practised during the 
mornings of bright days in the autumn and should be 
discontinued entirely during the winter months, at 
which lattter season water should be supplied by 
means of the watering can alone. When grown in 
pans care should be taken that plenty of drainage is 
given. Fill the pans nearly full of crocks next a 
layer of fibry peat placing the plant upon the top, 
pack it well in with the compost recommended, and 
top-dress neatly with sphagnum moss. Treated in 
this way way no difficulty in the culture of this 
beautiful and interesting class of plants need be 
experienced.— Filices. 
->»*»- 
TREE CARNATIONS. 
Those plants which are designed for winter flower¬ 
ing should by this time have been safely housed. 
Nothing is gained by keeping them out of doors too 
long. The house in which it is intended to flower 
them should be a light and airy one. A thorough 
washing should, therefore, be given it; also the pots 
as the plants are brought in. If the plants need any 
further tying it should be done before they are 
arranged. This will serve to economise space, a 
great consideration in most establishments at this 
period of the year when so many things are needing 
shelter, as well as to afford greater security during 
the shifting process. The pipings are very liable to 
break, as they are particularly brittle at the base of 
stem ; so that unless care is taken considerable 
damage is likely to be done. 
A minimum temperature of not less than 6o° Fahr. 
muse be maintained, otherwise the flowers will not 
open properly. Occasional supplies of liquid manure 
must also be given. I prefer farm-yard manure to any 
other, and in places where it can be procured fresh, 
I should strongly recommend its use, although very 
good results may be obtained by the use of Clay’s 
Fertilizer and some of the other good fertilisers now 
obtainable. The most important point, in the 
winter cultivation of the Carnation, is that of water. 
Although the plants are by no means total 
abstainers in that respect, they strongly resent the 
frequent application of water. Many fine batches 
of plants are spoiled by too much attention in this 
way.— A. S. G. 
-- 
CLERODENDRON 
FALLAX. 
A batch of flowering plants of this beautiful stove 
shrub will give an effect in the plant houses that for 
brightness and brilliancy ot colour at least is unsur¬ 
passed at this time of year. The plant is of erect 
habit, and the many flowered panicles of bright 
scarlet flowers contrast vividly with the large, dark 
green leaves. A native of Java, it is by no means 
difficult to grow, as it will thrive readily under 
ordinary stove treatment. Its propagation also is 
extremely easy, and may be effected either by cut¬ 
tings composed of young growth taken from the old 
plants in spring, or by seed sown at the same 
season. 
If the young plants are looked after with regard to 
potting, watering, &c., nice little specimens, from 15 
in. to 18 in. in height, may be obtained that will 
flower profusely during August and September. A 
6-in. pot will be a large enough size to flower them 
in, and a compost of turfy loam, leaf soil, and sand 
will suit them well enough. Some growers plunge 
their plants in a hot-bed during the summer, and it 
is astonishing to see the size and vigour of the 
leaves produced by plants treated in this way. 
Plenty of water at the roots, and frequent and liberal 
syringings overhead will be necessary to keep down 
insect pests. 
When in flower, the plants will stand unharmed in 
a much lower temperature than that necessary during 
thegrowing period. They form desirable objects either 
in the conservatory or drawing room. When used 
for indoor decoration, though they must be accorded 
a light position, otherwise they will drop their 
flowers. After flowering, the plants may be cut 
down and kept in a semi-dry condition, with a tem¬ 
perature of about 558 Fahr. until spring, when 
more water and a higher temperature may be given, 
to start them into growth It is advisable, however, 
to raise new plants each year, as they give far more 
satisfactory results than do the old ones.— A. S. G. 
-- 
THE BLANCHING OF CELERY. 
Apium graveolens, being a native British plant, 
and in its wild uncultivated condition thoroughly 
hardy, often proves, when under cultivation and 
subjected to the earthing up process, quite a tender 
plant, succumbing to the influence of frost, which, 
although it may not kill it right out, seriously 
diminishes its value, and the better blanched it is, 
the more tender it will be. When sent to the table 
it should be as sweet as a nut, and snap like a 
Carrot, without the slightest approach to stringish- 
ness ; but at the same time Celery thoroughly well 
blanched is often killed right out by frost, which inj ures 
crops not so far advanced in a much less degree. It 
frequently happens with crops kept over Christmas 
that one-half to two-thirds are lost during a severe 
frost, and that, too, where a good thickness of earth 
is banked up against them ; we have frequently found 
where this occurs that some blame attaches to the 
way the work has been done, the earth not being so 
well packed round the heads of the plants as it 
might be, and so leaving a space between the soil 
and plant for the inlet of frost, which penetrates down 
the stem to the heart. 
The taking up and laying in under cover of a por¬ 
tion of the crop in view of frost is frequently 
practised, and answers fairly well to a limited extent, 
but to our thinking it soon deteriorates in quality 
when laid in, and therefore every effort should be put 
forth to preserve it as long as possible in the trenches 
where it is grown, a process which involves a con¬ 
siderable outlay in labour and material, but which, 
where choice vegetables are expected, should not be 
objected to. If well considered, there can be no 
doubt that the weak point in earthing up is that the 
foliage is exposed to heavy rains, which leads to the 
settlement of a great amount of moisture about the 
stalks, which, when penetrated by the frost, splits 
them and leads to premature decay. 
We have often kept it in good condition till quite 
late in the season by placing a good covering of long 
litter down the sides of the ridges, well packing it 
between the foliage of the plants where exposed to 
the air, just leaving sufficient of leaves above it to 
show the plants. We took some pains to lay the 
litter as straight down the ridges as we could in 
order to throw off all the rain we could, because the 
drier the soil is the more frost will it keep out. If 
V-shaped wooden protectors could be had to place 
over the crowns of the ridges to throw off heavy 
rains they would assist in keeping the litter in its 
place, and when put on during frost would render 
ridges well thatched with litter as ours were almost 
or quite frost proof. 
During a spell of frost when it became necessary 
to open a trench to get a supply we got enough out 
to last for several days, and that without having to 
use the pickaxe, which we sometimes hear about, and 
it’s a pretty safe thing to say that when that imple¬ 
ment has to be much used in order to dig Celery, 
that soon after a thaw takes place there will not be 
much Celery to dig. Where grown in large quanti¬ 
ties, and much of it used for flavouring and stew¬ 
ing, later earthing up than that essential for the 
production of stalks fit for salading may, with 
advantage, be pursued, because the longer it remains 
without moulding up, the hardier it will be, and a 
smaller amount of covering will often be sufficient 
to preserve it from frost. Some will often throw 
litter along the top of the ridges and let it remain, 
which favours the rotting of the foliage, and some¬ 
times on that account does almost, or quite as much 
harm as good. On no account leave a mass of wet 
covering which lays heavily on the foliage, bearing it 
down close on the soil, but remove it on all favour¬ 
able occasions.— W. B. G. 
