568 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
May 4,1895. 
HINTS FOR AMATEURS. 
The Zonal Pelargonium. 
What a good all round amateur's flower this is ! and 
how well it adapts itself to circumstances which are 
not always of a favourable character, growing away 
vigorously and blooming freely wherever there is the 
slightest chance of its keeping alive. It is therefore 
not to be greatly wondered at that it has esconced 
itself so snugly in the affections of the lover of plants. 
Whether it be for growing in pots in the greenhouse, 
or the windows of the villa and the cottage, or 
whether it be for bedding out in masses in the 
flower garden it matters not, the Zonal Pelargonium 
is equal to all emergencies, and gives splendid satis¬ 
faction all round. Of late years florists have been 
paying a great deal of attention to the improvement 
of the flower, and as the result of their labours we 
have now an extensive collection of first-class 
varieties from which can be picked plants suitable 
for any purpose. 
Plants for Bedding Purposes. 
At this season of the year all who have a flower 
garden are debating as to how and with what 
particular subjects they shall fill it,.and are conse¬ 
quently busily engaged in making their arrangements 
for the ensuing season. But no matter what form 
these plans may take, and whatever subjects may be 
included, it is safe to say that the Zonal Pelargonium 
finds a place in them to some extent or other. The 
time for planting out being now so close at hand the 
plants should be going through the hardening off 
process. Air must be given in increasing quantities 
each day, leaving it on later at night, until the plants 
will stand having the lights left off altogether. They 
should have reached this latter stage fully ten days 
before planting out is thought about. Any that 
show a tendency to become tall or leggy must have 
their tops pinched out at once as this will induce them 
to make dwarf and bushy plants. 
Old plants which have been saved from last year 
should also be looked after. These will have been 
potted up in the early months of spring, and if 
proper attention has been paid them with regard 
to the cutting out of dead pieces, and the stopping 
of too rank growths, good strong plants will have 
resulted. These will come in splendidly for filling 
in the centre of the beds where a few larger plants 
are required. Besides, old plants of this kind are as 
a rule much more floriferous than the younger ones, 
and were it not for the difficulty sometimes 
experienced in keeping them through the winter we 
should advise the careful saving of all old plants at 
the approach of winter. With regard to varieties 
the following will be found a good selection : Henry 
Jacoby, perhaps the finest dark crimson flowered 
sort we have for bedding purposes; Lady Kirk¬ 
land, dark rosy purple ; Vesuvius, scarlet ; Distinc¬ 
tion, crimson flower and pretty foliage; Madame 
Vaucher, white ; and Master Christine, rosy pink. 
The coloured and variegated sections also hold many 
beautiful plants amongst which Flower of Spring, 
Mrs. Henry Cox, Golden Harry Hiover, Marechal 
McMahon and Crystal Palace Gem may be recom¬ 
mended as being very suitable. 
Pot Culture. 
A few good plants of some of the finer varieties 
always come in useful no matter whether the season 
chance to be spring, summer or winter, and thus any 
cuttings which have been taken a few weeks ago 
will now need to be potted off singly into small pots. 
These will, if attended to during the summer and 
autumn, make fine plants for furnishing a display 
during the late autumn and winter months. A compost 
of two parts of good loam to one of leaf soil wiih a 
sprinkling of sand will suit admirably. The pinching 
out of the tops of the taller plants must be 
carefully looked after for it savours of bad manage¬ 
ment to allow the plants to get a foot in length 
before they are stopped; and to remove several inches 
of growth from a young plant of this kind cannot 
fail to have an injurious effect upon it. 
Plants which flowered last autumn and which 
were cut back at the expiration of their blooming 
season and were potted up a couple of months ago 
should now be commencing to flower freely, and 
must be assisted by occasional doses of liquid 
manure. If farmyard manure cannot be obtained 
fresh, recourse may be had to some of the excellent 
artificial manures at the disposal of the gardener, 
such as Clay’s Fertiliser or Peruvian Guano, as these 
have the merit of not being nearly so strong-smelling 
as liquid farmyard manure usually is. 
As has already been intimated, there are such 
quantities of good varieties now in cultivation that 
it becomes a matter of some difficulty to furnish a 
list of plants which may be confidently recommended 
without doing an injustice to some others equally as 
good, but which have to be passed over owing to 
lack of sufficient space to grow them in. The under¬ 
mentioned varieties will, however, be found well 
worthy a place in any collection of Zonal Pelar¬ 
goniums for pot culture:—Dr. Andre, Guinevere, 
Queen of Whites (improved), Amy Amphlett, James 
Vick, F. V. Raspail, M. Gelein Lowagie, Madame 
Bourcharlat, and Rosy Morn.— Rex. 
-**•- 
THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS AT 
EASTBOURNE. 
Last week this pleasant little seaside town was 
exceptionally gay, for on the 24th ult. thousands of 
visitors, besides practically the whole of the 
inhabitants, made holiday on the occasion of the 
floral parade and battle of flowers. The whole 
affair was well conducted, and upon somewhat 
extensive lines. Between sixty and seventy vehicles 
of various descriptions took part in the competition, 
and some were exceptionally well decorated. 
Flowers, of course, covered the whole body and 
wheels of the equipages, also the horses, and in 
some cases the occupants also. Daffodils, Primroses, 
Arums, Spiraeas, Violets, forced Lilac, Pelargoniums, 
and Roses were the chief flowers, but there was 
much too great a preponderance of yellow. The 
town hall, the principal streets, and the whole of the 
parade on the sea front were elaborately decorated. 
Indeed, this alone was worth a journey to view. 
Over the road, along the sides, etc., were many 
pretty floral arches and festoons, as well as an 
immense number of Chinese and other coloured 
lanterns. 
We do not propose to give elaborate descriptions 
of the carriages and dresses—these have been reported 
on fully by the general press of the country—but we 
may remark that no expense seemed to have been 
spared, and that so far as could be Eastbourne 
thoroughly deserved the grand success and patronage 
accorded this unique show. Not so unique, by the 
way, as many fondly imagined, seeing that for many 
years Cornwall has had a show of this description. 
Of course, Eastbourne far surpassed any previous 
display of the kind in this country, which is not to 
be wondered at when the whole of the town, from 
highest to lowest, had evidently determined it should 
be a success. The Mayoress, Lady Duke, and the 
Hon. Mrs. Freeman-Thomas, acted as judges, and 
had some little difficulty in some of the classes. 
The premier prize went to Mr. and Mrs. Edgar 
Bruce, of London, for a pony trap. This was a work 
of art indeed, and if not most admired of all the com¬ 
petitors was certainly very popular. A coach and 
four, “ Harkaway,” was first in its class. This was 
a mass of flowers and ferns, while the bevy of young 
ladies on the top were most tastefully dressed in Old 
English costumes, and, of course, were the envied of 
all the fair sex on account of their pleasant position 
for viewing, to say nothing of participation in the fun 
of the day. 
What pleased us the most was a goat chaise 
decorated to represent Titiana’s car, and occupied by 
a dark haired little girl. The goat, a white one, was 
led by a boy in suitable costume; the little lady 
reclined upon a mass of flowers beneath a canopy of 
more, and upon which a couple of doves with out¬ 
stretched wiDgs held ribbons as reins. The whole 
turnout was in perfect harmony and well deserved 
the prize presented by the Gentlewoman for the best 
child’s car or carriage. Throughout the whole affair 
we thought the children shone far above the adults. 
It was more in keeping with youth, and one could 
scarcely help feeling that the throwing of flowers 
and masquerading was somewhat childish. 
The proceedings opened by a grand luncheon in 
the Town Hall. A parade through the principal 
streets followed and continued all along the front, 
after which the judges retired to consider their 
awards, which were followed by a sharp battle of 
flowers. Such a complete contrast as the front 
presented we have seldom seen. The houses were 
gaily decorated, flowers were superabundant all 
along the marine parade, but the beautiful Tamarisk, 
Euonymus, Laurustinus, Mahonias, and Sweet Bays, 
which have been a special feature of the sea front 
erstwhile were now black, in many cases dead, and 
had a. very bare effect in contrast. In this respect 
the whole show was out of character, for even the 
trees, which are a feature of Eastbourne streets were 
utterly bare of leaf. 
About 20,000 persons gathered on the froDt, and 
although a sharp shower of about three quarters of 
an hour's duration fell just as the fanfare of trumpets 
announced the commencement of the floral fusilade, 
the war was kept up with spirit until some time after 
fine weather returned. For a period we expected 
the " cease fire ” to sound for the battle to be post¬ 
poned until the next day. Allegorical cars were 
good, especially a party of haymakers and a bathing 
machine covered with moss and creepers in repre¬ 
sentation of an ideal caravan. On the following day 
much of the same programme was gone through, in 
addition to a cyclist parade and a battle of confetti. 
It was decidedly a gay week and well kept up, but 
we could not help feeling that nine-tenths of it was 
sheer tomfoolery for any but juveniles. It certainly 
moved money, and did the cut flower trade a turn, 
but could we not do so without throwing our beauti¬ 
ful spring flowers at each other in such a reckless 
manner, and trampling some thousands upon 
thousands of them under foot ?— X. 
-- 
CUCUMBERS FOR 
MARKET. 
As a market crop which, generally speaking, means 
profit, the Cucumber takes a good place. Unlike 
the Tomato the Cucumber does not mind a little 
absence of sunshine, providing that the top and 
bottom heat, moisture, &c., is kept up. Just a word 
as to varieties, of which there are many—good, bad, 
and indifferent, especially indifferent. In a general 
way the Telegraph type of Cucumber takes the lead 
for market purposes, but there are good and bad 
strains even of this grand old sort. Sutton's, Roch- 
ford's, and Veitch’s strains can be well recom¬ 
mended, while for the gentleman’s table or for show 
purposes Sutton's Progress, new, and of beautiful 
colour, should this year prove very successful. 
Lockie's Perfection and Blair's Prolific are also sorts 
that cannot be too highly spoken of. 
A Cucumber house as regards heat should Dever 
fall much below 65°, rising to 75^ or 8o°, and some 
growers it is well known never give an atom of air, 
which means at times an even higher temperature 
still, besides involving constant watching to avoid 
scorching and frequent delugings of the houses with 
water. For early and quickly grown crops the 
system is all right, but plants grown without air 
never acquire sufficient strength and hardiness to 
carry them though a long season of production, and 
consequently two and even three fresh plantings 
have to be made. 
To obtain a good steady crop sow about the end 
of February, and plant when about a foot or so in 
height. Up to this time all breaks and male blooms 
should be rubbed off. I like mine to start with three 
breaks, and to do this the plants will have to grow 
to the height of 18 in. Male blossoms and tendrils 
are always better removed. As to stopping I always 
pinch one joint above the fruit, and thin the fruit to 
one at a joint. This would not suit all growers, but 
I find that if I leave two or three at a joint none of 
them come to perfection. Fruits so obtained would 
possibly suit many markets, but would not sell here 
at all. 
On bright days never be afraid to ventilate, but 
close up again about 3 o’clock or a little before, 
syringing well all over the house, and never leaving 
a dry place, but be careful not to syringe so freely 
when the heat is not so well up. Never s) ringe 
with cold water, and keep the old leaves systemati¬ 
cally thinned out, a few at a time rather than many 
at once.— J. G. Pettingey, Strawberry Dale Nursery, 
Harrogate. 
-•*•- 
PRIMULA FLORIBUNDA. 
Amongst so many Primulas it is pleasing to note in 
the collections that come before the public that P. 
floribunda is not neglected. It is evidently more 
adapted for the adornment of greenhouses and other 
moderately warm or even hot structures than many of 
the Chinese species which have recently been dis¬ 
covered and introduced. From amongst the tufts of 
elliptic-lanceolate leaves rise the scapes of bright 
