340 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
FLORICULTURE. 
The Auricula in January and February. 
The Auricula is showing signs already of gathering 
itself together for the active season immediately 
before it. As soon as fine weather with a heightening 
temperature follows close upon the shortest day, 
the pulse of life in the plant throbs more rapidly, for 
its season of bud and blossom is at hand. By the 
time the month of February is half way through 
there will be a noticeable change of habit and size, 
and its spring life, which is its most active as then 
it is that the plant puts forth its supreme effort. 
If plants which have been wintered in cold houses 
or frames, and laid by captives of the frost for days, 
are showing a forward movement, those which have 
had about them during the winter season an atmos¬ 
phere of artificial heat will be even more advanced. 
But under whichever of these conditions the plants 
may have been wintered, it is a time when the plants 
need and should have much attention. 
Such points—very important any one of them—as 
cleanliness in the plants, the destruction of any 
green fly which have survived the winter, the 
sweetness of the surface soil, which should be stirred 
if no top-dressing is added as was an old custom, 
cleanliness on the pots, the sweetness of the 
surroundings, these and other matters have influence 
upon the well being of the plants. My own plants 
being in a cold house without the addition of fire 
heat, but with air on the southern side always on, 
were allowed to go pretty dry, but since the mild 
weather came in they were passed in review and 
made as clean as possible, and then thoroughly 
watered with slightly chilled water. The Auricula 
will bear a good deal of dryness at the root during 
mid-winter, care being taken the fine fibrous roots 
do not become shrivelled ; there is much moisture 
in the atmosphere, and the plants appear to absorb 
it through their leaves. Some care is required in 
watering, as it would be unwise to give it when frost 
threatens. When water is applied at this time of 
the year, and there is no help from fire heat, 
watering should be done between eleven and twelve 
o'clock, when solar heat is at its fullest; and this 
admits of the shelves or material upon which the 
plants are standing, drying up somewhat by dusk. 
The roots of any plant that does not appear to be 
doing well, should be at once examined. It may be 
the drainage is imperfect, or that the rot which 
affects all collections, however choice and 
well cared for, may have commenced at the base of 
the root, and then it is as well to shake the 
soil from the roots and repot it. It may spoil the 
spring bloom, but save the plant. 
Though I have already referred to watering, I re¬ 
turn to it again for the purpose of pointing out that 
plants which were allowed to grow dry at the roots 
should be watered thoroughly as soon as it is safe 
and seasonable to do so. Water may be given to a 
plant which instead of finding its way to the centre 
of the ball may run down between its circumference 
and the inner side of the pot, through the shrinking 
of the soil which happens in time of drought. One 
can soon tell if the roots are in dry soil by the light¬ 
ness in weight and by the hollow ringing of the con¬ 
tents when tapped, and all such in my own collection 
when they have been cleaned are stood in slightly 
chilled water, nearly up to the rims of the pots for a 
short time, and then allowed to drain freely before 
returned to the stage. By adopting this process the 
answer can be made sure, the ball of soil is thoroughly 
saturated and the newly active roots are finding 
about them conditions favourable to increased de¬ 
velopment. 
Young stocks may soon be repotted with advan¬ 
tage. When put into fresh sweet soil, they feel the 
inspiration of the growing spring time, and are 
able to avail themselves of the impetus the opening 
spring time affords them. Small plants, with pro¬ 
per care, can be pushed on into large ones by the 
end of summer, and will give promise of a good 
head of bloom in the following spring. It is bad 
when, through want of proper care, young stock goes 
back, instead of along the line of free and healthy 
development. 
Seedling Auriculas. 
I am a strong advocate for sowing seeds of Auriculas 
as soon as ripe, as valuable time is gained, though I 
sow both in autumn and spring, as opportunity offers. 
About the middle of August I made a sowing of 
some choice seeds in a shallow wooden box which 
was placed upon a shelf of the greenhouse, and 
covered with a square of glass. Some of the seeds 
quickly germinated, and as it is popularly held by 
Auricula raisers that the early seedlings are fre¬ 
quently the most inferior in point of quality, as well 
as of the strongest growth, it is an advantage to get 
such plants into size and out of the way to make room 
for the products of slower germination. As soon as 
warmer weather comes these forward plants will 
grow rapidly into size, and then they will be pricked 
off into other boxes, thus making room for the suc- 
cessional plants. I am certain it is a great advantage 
for the small seedlings as well as the young stock 
to catch the moving influences of the day, and 
they can do this when seeds are sown in August. 
It will be days before any shading is needed from the 
sun ; and the little seedlings respond cheerfully to 
the warmth they derive from its beams. Some of the 
romance of plant culture comes into the process ot 
seedling raising—the raiser leads on the tiny subjects 
from stage to stage until they bloom ; and whether it 
be satisfactory or the reverse, there is always the 
enjoyment of pleasant hopeful anticipation that is 
always an effectual spur to the grower.— R. D. 
Hybrid Violas. 
In reference to Mr. McLeod’s note on this subject, I 
hope he will be able to give the information you ask 
for as to the species of Viola that was used in the 
production of Violetta. Failing him, will the raiser 
kindly give the information. Being the raiser of 
Viola Goldfinch, it may interest some of your readers 
if I state that the first break was a sport from Ard- 
well Gem, but Goldfinch proper came from seed 
twelve years ago. It had a narrow edge. For six 
seasons about twenty plants were grown, but not one 
fertile seed was obtained from them. Having a 
strong-growing dark seedling which I observed the 
bees appeared to be very fond of, the next season I 
planted them together in mixture, in round groups of 
eight, so that the flowers opened closely together. 
The bees did not seem to distinguish the different 
colours, but generally stayed a much shorter time on 
the yellow blooms, as if there was nothing there for 
them. Had Goldfinch been an average fertile 
variety there would have been a thousand good seeds, 
but only eleven germinated. Four came seifs, and 
the remaining seifs more or less edged. Such is the 
pedigree of Goldfinch.— J. Baxter, Daldowie. 
With reference to your remarks regarding the 
parentage of Violetta, I write to say that I have 
asked Dr. Stuart to give me the particulars, and 
he replies as follows :—“ Violetta is a true cross 
from the Pansy Blue King and Viola cornuta, 
a weedy plant much used for edgings many 
years ago. It is not from the first cross bu . after 
many years seeding, and Violetta was a chance find 
in 1887, on abed of seedlings sown broadcast from 
seed of the strain just alluded to. The spur so ob¬ 
servable soon shows its relationship to the original 
Viola cornuta."— Geo. McLeod, Chingford. 
Striped Violas. 
I notice that some of the seed trade profess to sell 
seeds of Viola that comes striped. I should be 
grateful to any of your readers who may have given 
the seed a trial, if they will state what percentage 
came striped with them. Viola York and Lancaster, 
striped, originated here five years ago. I did all I 
knew to make about thirty plants produce seed, and 
raised 500 plants, and not one was lost by snails or 
accidents until they flowered, but to my intense 
disappointment only three came faintly striped.— 
J. Baxter, Daldowie. 
Violas in Pots. 
Following up the correspondence of the last few 
weeks, 1 received from Mr. George Steel, Heathers- 
law, N.B.,on January nth, blooms of seedlings from 
Violetta which were very charming and sweet scented. 
Mr. Steel remarks:—"The blooms sent will prove 
your remarks in The Gardening World lately re¬ 
garding winter bloom. I would have sent you a 
bunch, but my friends are always calling to see 
them." I was quite charmed with them.— Geo. 
McLeod. 
--4-- 
Waste paper makes a good thing to banish rats 
from buildings. Soak the paper in strong oxalic 
acid in solutions and then, while wet, ram it tightly 
into the chinks through which the rats travel. The 
rats will never come near the place again.— Paper 
Record. 
January 28 , 1898. 
PLANTS RECENTLY CERTIFICATED. 
The awards mentioned hereunder were made at the 
meeting- of the Royal Horticultural Society on the 
17th inst. 
Begonia Gloire de Sceaux. —Although not a 
new Begonia, the group cf it shown by Leopold 
de Rothschild, Esq. (gardener, Mr. J. Jennings), 
Ascott Park, Leighton Buzzard, consisted of plants 
so grandly grown that many visitors imagined they 
had never seen it before, and considered it a new 
thing. It is a continental hybrid, and has been in 
this country for a number of years, but has we 
believe never been shown to such perfection and in 
such quantity anywhere before. It is usually grown 
in stoves amongst mixed collections of plants, and 
has never, therefore, a chance of developing in 
proper form. The leaves are of great size, roundly 
cordate, undulate, rugose, wavy and toothed at the 
margins, bronzy olive-green above, and purple be¬ 
neath. Flowers are freely produced in cymes from 
the axils of the leaves, are thrown well above the 
latter, rose-coloured in bud, and pink when fully 
expanded. They are also of appreciable size, and 
handsome as well as the foliage. A First-class Cer¬ 
tificate was awarded it, together with a Silver Bank- 
sian Medal for the group. We now expect that 
other growers will follow the example of Mr. Jennings 
in the culture of this fine winter-flowering Begonia. 
Pteris serrulata gigantea. —This differs from 
the type chiefly in its much greater size. The 
arching fronds vary from 2 ft. to 3J ft. in length, 
and are proportionately stout, with more leathery 
pinnae. It would prove serviceable to those who 
require large specimens for furnishing large conser¬ 
vatories. An Award of Merit was accorded it when 
shown by Mr. H. B. May, Dyson's Lane Nurseries, 
Upper Edmonton. 
Chrysanthemum Pink Mrs. E. D. Adams.— The 
blooms of this variety as shown measured about 6 in. 
in diameter without spreading out the florets in any¬ 
way. All the outer ones droop considerably, making 
the flower appear of great depth; they are also 
more or less twisted, while the inner ones are in¬ 
curved and short, but well developed. In this latter 
respect the bloom differs from the ordinary Mrs. E. 
D. Adams which has a hard centre, remaining of a 
greenish black colour for a long time. It also 
differs in colour, being pink, and paler towards the 
centre, where the younger florets are yellowish; 
those of the type are white. Both belong to the 
Japanese section. Award of merit. 
Chrysanthemum New Year’s Gift. — This 
variety also belongs to the Japanese section, but 
is entirely different in form, being flat-topped, with 
broad flat florets of a pale creamy or sulphur white. 
The outer florets are longest, and the central ones 
relatively short. It is an Ebglish seedling, and 
would evidently prove useful as a late variety for 
market work, as the blooms are not heavy-, and the 
stalks are easily able to support them. The blooms 
vary in diameter from 4 in. to 6 in., the apparent 
great size being due to the stiff and spread-out 
character of the florets. An Award of Merit was 
accorded it. Both this and the preceding variety 
were shown by Mr. Robert Owen, Castle Hill, 
Maidenhead. 
-- 
FRUIT NOTES. 
Apple Blue Pearmain. 
The fruit of this Apple is large or above the medium 
size, globose or slightly angled, especially round the 
eye, which is closed and seated in a moderately deep 
cavity. The skin is yellowish-green at this season, 
of the year, heavily suffused, and splashed or striped 
with bronzy-red or crimson. Earlier in the season 
when the skin is quite fresh, it is suffused with a 
bluish bloom. The flesh is sweet, but not brisk, and 
is now considered to be of very good "quality, but 
handsome in appearance, and may be used either for 
culinary or dessert purposes. It is still in a good 
condition, and may be considered a late keeping 
variety. It was exhibited at the Apple and Pear 
Conference at Chiswick, in 1888, and had been grown 
in the society’s garden there; it was brought up to 
the Fruit Committee again on the 17th inst. from the 
same place, and was accorded an Award of Merit by 
the Fruit Committee. It originated in America. 
