282 
THE GARDENING W^ORLD. 
December|29, 1894. 
oughly clean and dry, also that no plant should be 
potted if the ball is either too wet or too dry ; this 
latter caution holding good with regard to the 
compost. The plants are potted rather firmly, a 
label being used as a rammer. This finished, they 
are placed back again into the same house, no water 
being given for two or three days. This first shift 
should be given before the plants become anything 
like root-bound. 
Removal to Frames. —In February I place the 
strongest plants into a large frame, made up on a 
slight hot-bed, composed of two parts of leaves to one 
of litter, over which is laid 3 or 4 ins. of sifted ashes. 
I find this better than a really cold frame, for the 
roots standing on the gentle heat are encouraged to 
push freely, a slight moisture rising, which keeps the 
plants nice and fresh, the minimum temperature 
being about 40°, Fahr. For some time the sashes 
are merely tilted up at the back, more or less, 
according to the state of the weather, but after a 
while they are ventilated freely. As the plants grow 
and gain strength they are placed in cold frames, 
where they must be guarded from frost. 
Second Potting. —In March and April the plants 
receive their second shift; this time into pots of 
from 5 to 6 ins. in diameter. The compost used for 
this potting, is rougher, more loam is employed, and 
less leaf-mould, while a pail each of horse droppings, 
and burned soil and wood ashes, a 6 in. pot full of 
bone meal, and a 4 in. pot full of Thompson manure, or 
Cross's Fertilizer to the barrow load of soil are 
added. The pots are well, but not deeply, crocked, 
the rougher compost over the drainage is rammed 
firmly, and the plant is then placed into the pots, so 
that it is a little deeper than the rim, the soil round 
it being made firmer, than in the case of the previ¬ 
ous shift. Firm potting should be the order of the 
day, for we must bear in mind that the “ balls ” of 
the plants should be permeated with smallish fibry 
roots, not big thick ones merely running around their 
outsides, the result being a good short jointed 
growth. It is from these plants that we get the best 
blooms, and we must therefore pot firmly and well, 
keeping the plants near to the light with a liberal 
supply of air whenever the weather is favourable. 
Stopping Plants. —As before stated I work 
my plants to be in flower from the middle of 
November, and to do this, many varieties require 
special treatment, so that they maybe rightly timed. 
This is done as previously mentioned by striking the 
cuttings early or late, also by stopping the plants at 
certain dates. In the last week of March, several 
early and late flowering varieties are stopped by 
taking out the merest point of the plants growth. 
The late kinds are allowed to break once, and those 
that are too early, if grown naturally, are permitted 
to make two breaks before the bud is taken. This 
remark anent the early kinds seems rather contradic¬ 
tory, but often we must take cuttings whenever they 
can begot, and most probably earlier than the date 
I specified for insertion. It is these early struck 
plants which require stopping, or else they will be in 
full flower three, four or five weeks, before the time. 
Amongst the late varieties I stop at the above date 
are, Mrs. E. W. Clarke, Dr. J. Grange, J. S. Dibbins, 
Mrs. F. Jameson, Robert Owen, Chas. Blick and 
Lord Brooke. I find it will be necessary to stop the 
following newer varieties at the’same time, Waban, 
Princess Victoria, Eda Prass, Le Prince en Bois, 
Silver Cloud, F. S. Matthews and W. G. Newitt. 
In the middle of April, Boule d’Or, Mr. H. Broom- 
head, Edwin Lonsdale, Lady E. Saunders and 
President W. R. Smith. Whilst early in May, 
Stanstead White, Mr. Irvine Clarke, Mons. Bernard, 
Mdlle. Marie Hoste, Avalanche, W, W. Coles, 
Florence Davis and International are operated on. 
Time will not permit me to go into fuller details on 
this head, which I consider one of thegreatest import¬ 
ance, for what is the use of growing them if we do 
not hit the time the blooms are wanted in their best 
possible condition. To find out their different 
characteristics we must observe their habits, and 
jot down the necessary information in a book kept 
for the purpose. I find it a good plan to give the 
plants new seven inch labels at their second potting, 
and on these make notes on the back of the dates 
when the cuttings were inserted, the different shifts, 
when they were stopped, and the time at which the 
buds were taken, if too early, or too late, besides 
any other information that may be of use. It is an 
easy matter to go through them at the time they 
should be at their best with the note book, and copy 
off the information written on the labels. 
Placing the Plants Outside. —With the first 
spell of good weather in April I place the strongest 
plants outside, but, before doing so, I make a structure 
in which they are placed to guard them from frost 
and cold winds. This protection is made by forming 
a double line of Pea hurdles, 5 in. apart, stuffed with 
straw. At every second length there is placed a 
similar line at right angles Each compartment, when 
finished, measuring about 12 ft. by 6. These can be 
lengthened as the plants become fit for standing out. 
The walls are constructed permanently on the North, 
East and West sides, the top and the sides being left 
open, but covered every night with similar hurdles, 
not so thickly lined. When the plants are first put 
out they are liable to droop if the weather is sunny, 
great care must therefore be exercised in watering 
them at this time, for to give water when it is not 
required, is very apt to do damage, in destroying 
the roots and souring the soil; they are better 
kept rather on the dry side for a few days, 
and syringed two or three time daily if the weather 
is bright, until the exposure hardens them. 
Compost and Final Potting. —Success depends 
to a large extent upon the compost the plants receive 
at their final shift. What they seem to like is a 
happy medium between a heavy and light mixture. 
The compost I use is mixed at the end of March. 
Previous to this date the turf, which is cut in the 
months of December or January and left lying where 
cut until it has been well frozen through, is stacked 
layer about with dried horse droppings and a slight 
sprinkling of soot. Five roughly chopped barrow 
loads of the above, one of burnt soil and wood 
ashes, half a barrowful of leaf mould, a quarter of 
lime rubbish, a quarter of river sand, three 
quarters of a pail of burnt oyster shells, one pailful 
of rough charcoal, and three quarters of a 
pailful each of crushed bones and bone 
meal, half a pailful of Thompson’s or Cross’s 
manures, and one-fifth of a pailful of Ichthemic 
guano, are thoroughly mixed. These parts are 
repeated until enough is at hand for the whole 
potting. 
Size of Pots.— With the exception of late struck 
cuttings and those plants of weakly or of extra 
strong growth, the general stock are potted into 
8-in. or 9-in pots, those of a weakly habit into 6-in. 
or 7-in., and the strongest varieties into 10-in. pots. I 
am more inclined to favour 8-in. before even g-in. pots, 
limiting the plants to a couple of blooms each. 
Unless we are favoured with a good season it is 
often impossible to ripen the wood sufficiently in 
large pots, which generally tells unfavourably upon 
the quality of the blooms. The pots are well but 
not deeply drained with crocks, over which I scatter 
from one to two handfuls of crushed bones, accord¬ 
ing to the size of the pots used or of the variety. 
These ensure a perfect drainage, and act as a 
beneficial manure, particularly during the latter part 
of the plant’s growth. 
Final Potting.— There is much difference of 
opinion regarding the best date for the final potting. 
Much depends upon the condition the plants are in 
and the locality in which they are situated. If an 
early one, they can safely be potted at a late date. 
Cochno is 500 ft. above sea-level, and this I find 
makes about a fortnight’s difference in our vegetation 
compared with our neighbours who are much nearer 
the sea-level. I commence to pot in the first week 
in May with plants that were well supplied jwith 
roots, usually finishing the lot by the latter end of 
the month. I have no hesitation in saying that the 
above date is not too early in any part of Scotland, 
as our seasons are short and the most must be made 
of them, so that when the autumn is upon us we 
have pots well filled with roots and wood sufficiently 
ripened. 
What is worth doing is worth doing well, and very 
specially does this saying agree with the final 
potting, but to do it thoroughly is rather a slow task. 
Having a lot of pots crocked in readiness, scatter 
the bones over the crocks as advised, put a layer of 
the rough part of the compost on the bones, ram 
this very hard, then lay a little of the finer part over 
this, leaving it deep enough to allow of a space 
being left about ijin. below the top of the pot after the 
putting in of the plant. Knock the plant out of the 
pot, carefully remove the crocks, turn the plant 
upright, and spread about one teaspoonful of 
Standen’s Manure over the surface of the ball, and 
the plant is ready for potting. I have followed out 
this course for years, and it has proved to be a very 
successful one, In potting, do not put much of the 
compost in at any one time, but just a little at a 
time, taking care to ram it well until the old ball is 
slightly covered. This done, mark, stake the plants, 
and place them out into the position previously 
recommended, supplying them with water not later 
than from two to four days after potting. The 
plants are kept in this sheltered position until the 
middle of June, when they receive a single stake, 
the length of which is in accordance with the height 
ot the variety when in bloom. The plants are then 
stood out in rows 3 ft. 3 in. apart, and the pots 
placed so that each plant may be clear of its neigh¬ 
bours. The pots are stood upon two pieces of wood, 
which are better than ashes on a board, both as a 
preventive against rooting through and the ingress 
of worms ; it also allows freer admission of air to 
pass through the balls. 
(To be continued.) 
TRANSPLANTING SHRUBS. 
The lifting and transplanting of these is treated as 
of small moment by many. All through what is 
generally known as the planting season, so long as 
there is not too much frost to allow of planting no 
check is made in the operations. Sometimes the 
soil is far too dry for safe removal of Conifers and 
other shrubs, at others it is sodden to such an extent 
that we should be wise to keep to the paths alone; 
otherwise, planting in heavy land is not often so 
successful as we would wish. 
Again, the plants are too often lifted in a rough 
and ready manner, some nurseries being especially 
careless in this respect; a few years ago I had charge 
of [some planting, when a valuable lot of Hollies 
arrived with scarcely any roots attached, Before 
planting, I called the purchasers’ attention to this 
and immediately telegraphed: “ Tops safe to hand, 
please send on roots as soon as possible." How can 
we expect such rough lifting to pay ? If we have 
mutilated roots in small quantity, bad planting and 
little attention afterwards, how very great a contrast 
we find to the case where a little care has been 
exercised. 
Now a word as to the season for planting. I am 
aware we cannot always select this as we would 
wish; many reasons prevent, our employer may 
not decide in time, or another more pressing work 
checks us. But if we use a little more care than 
usual we can plant fairly safe through an extended 
season. For the majority of Conifers I prefer early 
October; but this must be guided by the season to a 
great extent. We must not move them in active 
growth, but it is certainly a good plan to do so 
immediately they have ceased and while yet scarcely 
ripe. We thus get the advantage of new roots to a 
slight extent, and also secure a firmer setting of 
soil around these before hard weather sets in. 
Drought, both from wind and frost have less 
effect when this is the case: but we must attend to 
watering for a time if the ground is dry. Here we 
so often see the mistake of applying water at th e 
surface after the planting is done. Far better give 
a good soaking around the roots when the hole is no 
more than half full, leave it an hour or so, and fill 
in and tread up firmly. Firm planting, again, is of 
considerable benefit. We do not sufficiently realise 
how firm the soil soon gets in a state of nature ; 
wind, rain and other influences all tend towards 
this. Use a medium sized plant if possible, although 
we need not hesitate to move large specimens of 
many subjects if due care be taken.— Experience. 
early" peas. 
In most gardens Peas are one of the things that the 
gardener strives his hardest to obtain as early in the 
season as possible, consequently he has to try several 
dodges in order to find out the one that is productive 
of the best results in the particular part of the country 
in which he happens to be placed—best results, of 
course, in reality meaning earliness. It would be 
well-nigh an impossible task to discover an estab¬ 
lishment where Peas are not held in high favour. 
Indeed, in most instances, they are considered not 
as luxuries, but as necessities, and therefore looked 
upon in much the same light as the Potato. It 
would be a hard matter to find another vegetable of 
what we may term the higher class of -which this 
can truly be said. Seakale is necessarily held kt- 
