THE GARDENING WORLD 
297 
J&fluarjr 5 , 1895 . 
Seakale, like most other vegetables, should be cooked 
as soon as possible after it is cut and full of its 
juices in order to have it in its best condition.— 
W. D. 
-■ ■ 
SHRUBBY SPIRAEAS. 
Now that the planting season is in full swing it may 
not be out of place to give a few words to one of our 
most valuable and varied flowering shrubs. The 
Spiraeas are very hardy and long lived, will grow in 
almost any soil, and invariably give us a quantity of 
bloom. Moderately tall, of graceful growth, and 
keeping up a succession of flower from early summer 
until autumn, we may also add that they are easily 
increased by layers or division of the clumps. 
S. callosa is one of the very best, and varies 
considerably; some varieties of this are white, 
others range from pink, 
rose, red and various 
shades of crimson. It 
also varies in height, two 
and a half to six or seven 
feet. One of our freest 
bloomers all through 
summer and autumn. 
S. Thunbergi is another 
white flowered species of 
great beauty. Very early 
blooming and splendid 
for steady forcing in the 
ordinary greenhouse or 
conservatory. The 
autumnal tints of its 
foliage are very rich and 
pleasing. 
S. PRUNIFOLIA ALBA 
plena is very pretty from 
May until September. Its 
perfectly formed rosette 
blooms look well when 
planned boldly and free 
from that objectional 
crowding too prevalent in 
mixed borders. 
S. Bumalda is a form 
of S. callosa, very dwarf 
and bushy, and if well 
treated is worthy of a 
place to itself upon any 
lawn. A variety called 
Knap Hill Crimson has 
been exceptionally bright 
during the past summer. 
S. ARIAEFOLIA is tall, 
reaching as much as ten 
feet in good soil. Very 
large trusses of greenish- 
white flowerswith a power¬ 
ful perfume. Grown on 
the outskirts of a lawn, 
and not crowded among 
other shrubs, or planted 
on the margins of a pond, 
we see this elegant shrub 
to great advantage. The 
leafage is pretty, and the 
flowers are immense; 
plumes so heavy as to bend 
down in such a manner as 
to be highly characteristic 
‘when planted by water. 
S. alpina (white), S. Douglasii (rose), S. Pallasii 
(white), and S. salicifolia (rosy-pink) can all be 
highly recommended. _ ._ 
These are hardy shrubs, suitable for almost any 
soil or position. When grown in a crowded condi¬ 
tion among other shrubs we do not get their full 
beauty ; they should either stand alone or be planted 
less thickly than usual. So many of our finest 
shrubs of this class are spoilt from neglect, and soon 
degenerate if overcrowded. In the majority of cases 
a little judicious use of the knife will avoid much of 
this, and greatly improve the general appearance.— 
Experience. ~ '. 
_The Amateur Orchid Grower’s Guide Book. By H. A. 
Burberry (Orchid Grower to the Rt. Hon. J. Chamberlain, 
M.P.). Containing sound, practical information and advice 
for Amateurs, giving a List with Cultural Descriptions ot 
those most suitable for Cool-house, Intermediate-house, and 
Warm-house Culture, together with a Calendar of Operations 
and Treatment for each Month of the Year. In Cloth (Crown 
8V0.5 by 7J), price 2S.6d.; post free, 2S. 9d. Publisher, Garden- 
ins World, i, Clement’s Inn, Stiand, London, W.C." 
SCIADOPITYS VERTICILLATA. 
The Umbrella Pine of Japan, as this tree is called, is 
far from being so familiar a feature in gardens as it 
ought. The leaves are long, leathery, convex above, 
concave and ribbed beneath, and arranged in droop¬ 
ing tufts at the ends of the short branches ; hence 
the name Umbrella Pine. A young tree reminds us 
of an Irish Yew or Cephalotaxus pedunculata 
fastigiata, very much exaggerated owing to the much 
greater length and size of the leaves. In its native 
country, it attains a height of 8o ft. to 120 ft., and if 
it grows as slowly there as in this country, a tree of 
the latter height must be of enormous age. Soil and 
climate, however, may have a deal to do with it, and 
the artificial methods of treatment we give the trees, 
through mistaken notions of their requirements. 
The Umbrella Pine will grow where the soil is 
sufficiently moist in summer to keep Rhododendrons 
The Umbrella Pine: Sciadopitys verticillata. 
in a healthy state. The soil need not necessarily 
consist of peat, because if fairly well drained, yet 
sufficiently retentive to keep up a constant supply of 
moisture during the drought of summer, the tree 
will thrive. It may be planted amongst other 
shrubbery but is so choice, slow of growth, and neat, 
that it should receive a prominent place on the lawn 
where trees can be admitted. The habit is pyramidal, 
and even after the lapse of many years, the tree will 
occupy no more space than an Irish Yew or Irish 
Juniper. Specimens ranging from 2 ft. to 15 ft. in 
height may be seen in the Coombe Wood nursery of 
Messrs J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, to whom we are 
indebted for the present opportunity of illustrating 
the subject of this note. 
Hardy Ornamental Flowering Trees and Shrubs, by 
A. D. Webster. A valuable guide to planters of beautiful 
trees and shrubs for the adornment of parks and gardens. 
Price, 3s.; post free, 3s. 3d. Publisher, Gardening World, 
i t Clement's Inn, Strand, London, W.C. 
THE JAPANESE CHRYSANTHEMUM 
AND ITS CULTIVATION FOR SHOW 
BLOOMS. 
By W. Rushton. 
(Concluded fromp. 280.) 
Syringing.— The plants are syringed regularly in 
bright sunuy weather, once daily from the last week 
in April until the end of July. After this they are 
never syringed, as I find it keeps the wood too soft. 
But I am also prejudiced against-over ripe wood, as 
the blooms borne by it are apt to be small. 
Feeding is done little and often, beginning with 
the earliest potted plants in the third week in June, 
and continuing until they are housed, after which, 
with the exception of plants carrying late-set buds 
and varieties not subject to damping, they receive no 
feeding. The manures used are night-soil and soot, 
three pailfuls of the former to one of the latter being 
put into a coarse bag, 
thrown into an old paraffin 
barrel filled with water, 
and used at the rate of 
about one part to forty of 
clean water; Ichthemic 
Guano, at the rate of a 
3-in. potful to twenty 
gallons of water, or 
sprinkled, if the weather 
is wet,upon the surface of 
the pot,a teaspoonful being 
given to a g-in. pot; and 
Standen’s Manure, used as 
a powder at the same rate. 
These are applied in 
rotation throughout the 
time specified according 
to the plants’ require¬ 
ments. Sulphate of 
ammonia is used for back¬ 
ward buds in proportions 
of from a quarter to half 
an ounce to a gallon of 
tepid water. To give 
sulphate to many varieties 
is almost sure to cause 
damping, therefore Iwould 
warn against it being 
used indiscriminately-. 
The plants also receive 
two or three waterings 
with clear lime water 
early in August, the third 
week in September, and 
again after theyarehoused. 
This kills the worms, 
loosens the manures in 
the soil, and gives solidity 
to the wood. 
Top dressing. — The 
plants are top dressed 
twice in the second week in 
July; and again in August 
with sifted compost, 
similar to that used for 
the final potting, but with 
more of the burned soil 
and wood ashes in it. 
This is placed thinly on 
and made firm, with an 
incline to the stem of the 
plants. I think it is a mis¬ 
take to give too deep top 
dressings. The roots do not appear to take to it so 
readily as when applied thinly. 
Bud taking. —Taking the buds requires both 
judgment and care, with a few exceptions, only 
crown buds should be taken, terminal buds are 
deficient in size and are often " daisy centred,” the 
only varieties I have so far been successful in flower¬ 
ing from the terminal buds are W. H. Lincoln, 
Viviand Morel, C. Davis, and Wm. Tricker. Then 
again I find a few give better results if allowed to 
form intermediate crowns, such as Etoile de Lyon, 
Mrs. C. H. Payne, Van due Heede, Mdlle. Edouard 
Rey, Miss Dorothy Shea, Viviand Morel, and its 
sport. I take all buds that appear from July 18th 
and like to see all buds set by the 24th of August. 
In taking the earliest set buds, the laterals are 
removed at intervals for a period of three or four 
weeks. By doing so the bud is retarded, and 
reduces almost to nil the chances of monstrous and 
ill-shaped buds. I find these early set plants take a 
