June 1, 1895. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
637 
paper and twine of great strength are produced from 
its fibre. Although the agricultural implements used 
appear, at first sight, to be of rude construction, yet 
they are fairly well adapted to the needs, and the 
final results leave little to be desired. The fields are 
all cultivated like gardens, and the crops, when 
growing, are kept well hoed and clear of weeds. All 
the tools with cutting edges, such as hoes, picks, 
sickles, pruning hooks, &c., although of purely native 
manufacture, are all steeled and tempered on the 
edge. As regards the system of cultivation, in the 
case of two of the most important crops, namely, 
Cotton and Rice, the following are the details :—In 
Cotton cultivation the seed is first mixed with dry 
earth, to prevent their sticking together; slight 
cavities are then made in the ground, about two 
feet apart, between the rows of Wheat, and three or 
four seeds thrown in each, and lightly covered, and 
then a small teacupful of an emulsion of manure in 
water is poured over. 
After the Wheat is cut, and the Cotton about 4 in. 
high, it is hoed and thinned out, so as to leave one or 
two plants at each setting, and then another dose of 
emulsion is applied round the roots. No more care 
is now needed until the Cotton is ready for gathering ; 
and it is just at this time—from June to August— 
when everything is growing under tropical heat and 
moisture, that the farmer is at leisure to collect and 
make stores of manure for the next crop. Rice is 
more complicated, but may be roughly described as 
follows : —The seed, rolled up in straw bundles of 
about 50 lbs. each, is steeped for twenty-four hours 
in water, and then thickly sown on a patch of highly- 
manured ground, and the other fields ploughed up 
and water run to the depth of 2 in. When the Rice 
has grown in the bed to the height of 6 in., the fields 
are harrowed till they are worked into a thin mud, 
which settles in a few hours perfectly level. The 
Rice plants are then removed in handfuls from their 
birthplace and transplanted out singly, about 18 in. 
apart, in the fields that have been prepared for them. 
This operation of transplanting is usually accom¬ 
panied by much beating of gongs and firing of 
crackers. In about a month the crop is 18 in. high, 
and it then begins to turn a sickly yellow colour; 
slacked lime is then sprinkled on, and in a couple of 
days it is turned dark green and flourishes rapidly. 
The supply of water must be kept up until the grain 
is thoroughly ripe ; it is then run off, and two days 
after it is reaped with a sickle. At the time of Rice 
harvest the dry season has already set in, and the 
Yang-tse is rapidly falling, but the running of the 
water off the paddy fields is so simultaneous over 
the country that the river always rises, it is said, 
2 ft. or 3 ft. for a week and then goes down again.— 
“ Society of Arts Journal ,” 1 yth May. 
-- 
Quescions add snsojeR$. 
*,* Will our friends who send us newspapers be so good 
as to mark the paragraphs or articles they wish us to see. 
We shall be greatly obliged by their so doing. 
Sowing Holly Seeds.— L. Thain : Holly seeds 
take a long time to germinate, so that it is waste of 
ground to sow them the first year after they ripen. 
Gather them in winter, say soon after Christmas or 
any other time that is convenient, provided the birds 
are not destroying them. Collect them into a box or 
basket and select a suitable corner in the soil yard or 
anywhere else that may be convenient or handy and 
out of the way. Spread a layer of berries on the 
ground, then a layer of soil above them, followed by 
another layer of berries, and so on till all of the 
berries _ are thus covered. This is the process of 
stratifying. They are left in this position for twelve 
months, and may be sown some time during the 
early part of the year, and a number of the seedlings 
will come up in spring or during the course of the 
summer, while the rest may be expected to come the 
summer after that. All the good seeds or most of 
them may be expected to germinate eighteen months 
to two and a half years after gathering the berries. 
We would not advise you to sow them at the foot of 
a hedge, as they would in all probability get 
forgotten, and the greater portion of the seedlings 
choked up with weeds and lost. 
The Culture of Streptocarpus.— H. Sadler: 
Supposing you commence with seeds, sow them in 
a stove or warm greenhouse about the beginning of 
February. If the minimum night temperature does 
not fall below 6o p they will come up all the more 
quickly. When the first leaf has begun to develop 
or has attained half an inch in length, prick off the 
seedlings into pans about an inch apart each way or 
slightly more. As soon as they begin to get crowded, 
pot them singly in thumb pots. Re-pot them as often 
as becomes necessary till in 48 or 32 size pots in 
which they may be flowered. The seedlings will 
come on all the more quickly if they are planted out 
in the borders of a greenhouse in an open position 
well exposed to light. All of them should flower from 
four to six months after the time of sowing. Their 
culture closely resembles that of Gloxinias, except 
that the Streptocarpus requires much less heat to 
bring them along after germination. Do not neglect 
them in the matter of watering, especially if you grow 
them in pots. Keep them cool and rather dry in 
winter, but re-pot them if necessary in spring, and 
they will commence flowering in April or thereby, if 
not earlier, and continue to do so with great freedom 
all the summer. It would be advantageous to sow a 
fresh batch at least every second year, and even 
better to have a batch coming on every year. 
Address of Publisher. — Omega: The address 
you asked for is Messrs. William Rider & Son, Ltd., 
14, Bartholomew Close, E.C. 
Names of Plants.— J. G. : 1, Polemonium 
caeruleum ; 2, Saxifraga Geum ; 3, Iris germanica 
pallida; 4, Saxifraga granulata flore pleno; 5, 
Aquilegia chrysantha. H. D.\ 1, Odontoglossum 
crispum Ruckerianum; 2, Cattleya Skinneri; 3, 
Cypripedium Lawrenceanum ; 4, Oncidium pulvina- 
tum. A. W.: 1, Streptocarpus Rex var.; 2, Begonia 
semperflorens carminata gigantea. 
Various questions.— Rubens : Many of the Lilies 
have no special English name and Lilium bulbiferum 
is one of them. It would be more correct to call it 
the Bulb-beariDg Lily rather than the Bulbous Lily, 
because the specific name is applied on account of 
the plant bearing bulbils in the axils of the leaves. 
The Spiraeas you mention have no special charac¬ 
teristics beyond being ornamental. The Scarlet Flax 
(Lilium grandiflorum) would doubtless contain a 
useful fibre in the stems like the other species but we 
have never heard of its being utilised in any way. 
The Souvenir de la Malmaison Carnation may be 
flowered during May, June and July at least and 
possibly at other times according to the skill of the 
cultivator. Some of the varieties of the Columbine 
(Aquilegia vulgaris) may be described as having 
magenta flowers or some shade approaching that. 
Many of the tuberous Begonias that flower from 
April or May till October or November have magenta 
flowers. 
Dwarf and tall Box.— L. Thain ; The average 
height of the dwarf Box (Buxus sempervirens suf- 
fruticosa) is 12 in, but old plants under favourable 
circumstances would attain a height of 18 in. It 
takes some years to attain this height, however, from 
cuttings. The tall cr typical form of the Box 
(B. sempervirens) would grow only a few inches 
annually from cuttings, say two or three inches, but 
after it begins to develop vigorously the rate of 
growth would be more rapid, but we do not remember 
it grow more than 6 in. annually. A fair estimate 
for the shoots of various size and vigour would be 
from 2 in. to 6 in. annually. 
Culture of Cypripedium barbatum.— H. Sadler : 
The flower of the specimen you sent us was very small 
and evidently had been grown in too low a tempera¬ 
ture. It is an East Indian species and though some 
growers keep it in a greenhouse, it does not thrive 
very well. A stove temperature suits it best, and if 
you are to grow it with any degree of success you 
must keep it in a house that does not sink much 
below 6o° at night through the winter, rising to 70° 
in summer. Give it good supplies of water during 
the summer more especially when making its growth, 
and at the same time the atmosphere should be kept 
moist by damping down all the paths and stages. 
Use a compost of fibrous peat, chopped sphagnum 
and broken potsherds, pressing it very firmly about 
the roots of the plant. The surface should be 
covered at all times with living sphagnum which will 
grow if used in a fresh condition, and at all times 
kept moist. You will have little or no difficulty in 
growing this species if you attend to it in the matter 
or heat and moisture as stated above. 
Planting out Callas .—Omega : After the plants 
have finished flowering they go to rest for a short 
time then begin growing again. Harden them off 
and plant them out in trenches about this time cr a 
little later. The trenches afford shelter and at the 
same time enable you to keep them very moist about 
the roots. All the water poured in the trenches 
sinks into the soil immediately surrounding the roots. 
Before planting dig some well rotted stable manure 
into the soil and the plants will grow all the more 
vigorously for it. Lift the plants early in September 
before there is any danger from frost so that the 
plants may be taken indoors at a moment’s notice. 
Supposing the plants are grown in pots there will be 
a slight cessation of growth just after flowering and 
until the young roots commence to develop when the 
leaves will grow away again. The time at which 
this takes place will depend upon the temperature of 
the house in which the plants are kept, and the time 
they flowered. 
Communications received.— A. D. W — A D — 
W. L— J. R.— A. S. 
♦ I* - 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
The Acme Chemical Co., Ltd, Tonbridge, 
Kent.—"Acme ’’ Weed Killer. 
LONDON SEED TRADE. 
May 28 th, 1895. 
Messrs. Hurst & Son, 153, Houndsditch, and 39, 
Seed Market, Mark Lane, report only casual orders 
for Clover and Grass Seeds at unchanged rates. 
Mustard steady. Rapeseed scarce and dearer. 
Canary seed higher. 
COVENT GARDEN MARKET. 
May 29th, 1895. 
Fruit.—Average Wholesale Pricks. 
t. d s. d. 
Apple9.per bushel 30 90 
Nova Scotia ApDles 
per barrel 12 0 21 0 
Cob Nuts and Fil¬ 
berts, per 100 lbs 10 0 
Tasmanian Apples, 
per case 8 0 11 o 
1. d. 
Grapes, per lb.1 0 
Pine-apples. 
—St. Mlobael's each 2 6 
Strawberries, Nobles, 
per lb. 1 0 
Other varieties, 
per lb. 2 0 
S. d. 
4 0 
6 0 
2 0 
4 o 
Vegetables.—Average Retail Prices. 
1. d. t. d. 
ArtlchokesGlobedoz. 30 60 
Asparagus,per bundle 16 40 
Beans, French, perlb. 1 0 
Beet.per dozen 20 30 
Cabbages ... per doz. 30 40 
Carrots ... per bunch 0 6 
Cauliflowers.doz. 30 60 
Celery.per bundle 16 20 
Cucumbers .each 03 09 
Endive, French, djz. 26 30 
Herbs .per bunch 02 06 
1. d. t. d. 
Horse Radish, bundle 20 40 
Lettuces ...per dozen 2 0 
Mushrooms, p. basket 10 16 
Onions.per bunoh 04 06 
Parsley ... per bunch 0 6 
Radishes... per dozen 1 6 
Seakale...per basket 1016 
Smallsaiading,punnet 0 a 
Spinach .per lb. 0 6 
Tomatos. per lb. 1 o 20 
Turnips.per bun. 0 6 
Cut Flowers.—Average Wholesale Prices. 
j. d. s. d. 
Arum Lilies, I2blms. 20 40 
Azalea, doz. sprays 06 10 
Asparagus Fern, bun. 20 30 
Bouvardias, per bun. 06 10 
Carnations doz.blms. 20 30 
Euoharis ...per doz. 30 50 
Gardenias ...per doz. 30 40 
Geranium, scarlet, 
doz. bunches 40 60 
Lilac, English, doz. 
bchs. 40 60 
Lilac (French) 
per bch. 50 60 
Lilium longiflorum 
per doz. 20 50 
Lilium candidum, | 
per doz. 16 20 
Lily of the Valley, 
doz. bchs. 6 0 15 0 
Marguerites, 12 bun. 16 30 
MaiienbairFern,i2bs.4 0 60 
Narcissus, doz. bchs. 10 20 
Orchids, doz. blooms 1 6 12 o | 
Pelargoniums,12 bun. 60 90 
s. d s. d, 
Peonys, doz. bchs. ... 6 0 90 
Primula, double, doz. 
sprays 06 10 
Pyrethrum doz. bun. 2040 
Roses (indoor), doz. 06 10 
„ Tea,white, doz. 1020 
„ Yellow, doz. ... 2 0 30 
„ Safrano 
(English), doz. ...13 20 
Red Roses.3 060 
Pink Roses .5 070 
Roses (French), 
yellow, doz. 
blooms .16 20 
Roses (French) red, 
doz. blooms. ... 2 0 26 
Smilax, per bunch ... 4 0 60 
Stephanotis, doz. 
sprays .40 60 
Tuberoses, doz. 
blooms ... ... 0 4 06 
Violets (English) doz. 
bun. .10 20 
Violets (French) bun. 10 16 
Plants in Pots.—Average Wholesale Prices 
>. d. t, d. 
Arbor Vitae (golden) 
per doz. 6 0 12 0 
Aspidistra, doz. 18 0 36 0 
„ specimen 
plants. 5 0 10 6 
Azaleas, each . 16 26 
Calceolaria, per doz. 60 90 
Cinerarias, per doz. 6 0 10 0 
Dracaena, various, 
per doz. 12 o 30 o 
Dracaena viridis.doz. 90180 
Erica, various,doz.... g o 18 0 
Euonymus, var. doz. 6 0 18 o 
Evergreens,lnvar.doz 6 o 24 0 
Ferns, invar.,per doz. 4 0 18 0 
Ferns, small, per 100 40 60 
Ficus elastica, each 1050 
Foliage Plants, var., 
each 2 0 10 o 
t. d. 1. d. 
Fuchsia, per doz. 60 90 
Heliotrope, per doz. 60 80 
Hydrangea, per doz. 9 o 18 o 
Ivy Geraniums, per 
d 07 . 6080 
Lobelia, per doz. 40 60 
Lycopodiums, doz. 30 40 
Mignonette, per doz. 50 60 
Marguerite Daisy doz 6 0 12 0 
Myrtles, doz. 60 90 
Palms in variety,each 1 o 15 o 
Palms, Specimen ...21 o 63 o 
Pelargoniums,perdoz. 9 o 15 o 
Primulas, doz.40 60 
Scarlets, per doz. 30 go 
Stocks, per doz. 40 60 
CONTENTS 
page 
Agriculture in the Yang-Tse 
basin .636 
Alpine House at Kew .635 
Amateurs, hints for .632 
Begonias at Forest Hill.628 
Cucumber, the.632 
Daffodils and Tulips.636 
Flower Garden, the.631 
Fruit under Glass .630 
Gardening Miscellany.635 
Habenaria chlorantha.633 
Habenarias, the.633 
Hardy Fruit Garden, the...631 
Ivy-leaved Pelargoniums 
at Ryecroft.633 
Jadoo Fibre .635 
PAGE 
Kerria japonica flore pleno 636 
Muscari latifolium.636 
Orchid Notes Sc Gleanings 629 
Plants reoentlycertificated 634 
Rhapis flabelliformis 
variegata .G36 
Ross Belle Siebrecht.633 
Science Gleanings.631 
Shirley Poppies .636 
Temple Show, salient 
features of the .627 
Tidy's Water Spreader.635 
Vegetable Garden, the.630 
Wallflowers, two good .636 
Wild Flowers, a few .632 
AMATEURS 
Who follow the Instruction] given In 
'The Amateur Orchid Cultivators’ Guide Book,’ 
Br H. A. BURBERRY, F.R.H.S., 
ORCHID GROWER TO 
The Right Hon, JOS. CHAMBERLAIN, M.P., 
GAN G ROW O RCHIDS 
In Cool, Intermediate, or Warm Houses, 
SUCC ESSF ULLY 
There 1« a Calendar of Operations for 
each month, and full information as to 
the treatment required by all Orchide 
mentioned in the book. 
First Edition. 
2s. 6d.; post free, 2s. gd. 
“Gardening World” Office, 
Clement’s Inn, Strand London. 
