184 
r HE GARDENING WORLD 
November 20,1897. 
Points for Amateurs. 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
A nyone may give additional or more explanatory answers 
to questions that have already appeared. Those who desire 
their communications to appear on this page should write 
"Amateurs' Page " on the top of their letters. 
Seeds of Stocks.— Enteric : If your Ten-week 
Stocks have been really good there is no reason why 
you should not raise a few plants next year from 
your own seed. The best way to clean the seed is to 
pick it out from the pods by hand. Keep it in a 
cool, dry place, and sow it in gentle heat by the be¬ 
ginning of March next year if you want early 
plants. For later plants April is a good month for 
sowing. 
Asparagus — F. L.M.\ The roots obtained from 
the old Asparagus bed will force well enough, but 
this will exhaust them, and they will be of no further 
use. You may lift the roots at once if you like, and 
store them away in a cool shed, covering them with 
leaf soil until they are wanted. When you have the 
early vinery in full swing you will find that by pack¬ 
ing the roots closely together on the bed of the 
house, and covering them with leaf mould or other 
light soil that you have a capital house for forcing 
Asparagus. Cut all the young sticks, both thick and 
thin, as they appear. It is of no use allowing any 
to remain. 
Training a Peach Tree.— G. Menzies : It is some¬ 
what difficult to give instructions upon paper for the 
training of a Peach tree, a practical demonstration 
being what you really require. There are, however, 
one or two rules that must not be lost sight of when 
tying the tree in. The fan-shape, of which your 
tree is an example, is by far the easiest to manage. 
First of all tie in the main branches, then deal with 
the smaller and more pliable growths. These must 
be distributed regularly over the whole area enclosed 
by the larger branches. Another point is to see that 
the branches are not allowed to cross each other, 
but that they describe a straight course from base to 
point as the radii of a fan. Take care not to make 
the ties too tight, or the growth of the shoots will 
cause strangulation at those points. 
Peaches on a Back Wall .—Medico : The crevices 
in the wall will undoubtedly harbour vermin. We 
should advise you, therefore, to entirely undo the 
trees from the wall and give the latter a good lime¬ 
washing. A little care will be required in doing this, 
in order to avoid knocking the buds off the trees. 
The larger branches of the trees should be washed 
with a solution of Gishurst Compound. From six 
to ten ounces of the compound to a gallon of soft 
water makes a capital wash. Apply it with a soft 
brush. 
Malmaison Carnations.—/. P.: The plants will 
do very well in the greenhouse, and the 6o-sized pots 
will be amply large enough until the spring, when a 
shift may be given into 32’s, say about the middle of 
March. You will need to exercise a considerable 
amount of caution in watering, otherwise the foliage 
of the plants will go yellow. It is astonishing, 
indeed, to see what small quantities of water 
suffice. 
Araucaria excelsa.— Q.: It is a great pity that 
the young branches at the growing point of the 
plant have been damaged. They will be almost 
sure to fall off, and even if they remain their beauty 
will be sadly impaired. The injury done to the 
health of the plant may not be very serious, but its 
appearance will be greatly marred by the gap in the 
whorls of branches. You can do nothing to 
remedy. 
Menyanthes trifoliata — Reader : The Bogbean, 
Buckbean, or Marsh Trefoil, as it is variously named, 
may easily be propagated by divisions of the roots. 
These may be planted in rough skeps or boxes iu any 
garden soil, and just dropped into their places. The 
water should not be too deep, but may just cover 
them, although the plants do capitally in wet, 
marshy places, as well as in shallow ponds. 
Dahlias.— S. R. N . : The best place to keep your 
Dahlias in during the winter would be a shed or out¬ 
house. Here they may be laid after having been 
dried subsequent to lifting. They may be 
covered over with hay, straw, or dry litter of any 
kind. They should be looked over occasionally in 
order to remove any portions of the rootstock, in 
which decay may have set in owing to injury during 
the lifting or shifting from one place to another. 
Trade growers commence to propagate as early as 
January, but this would be a month or two earlier 
than you need to start. 
Roses.— Fob. : On your light and kindly soil you 
may see to the transplantation of your Roses at 
once. Standard briers for next year’s stocks for 
budding on should be planted as soon as received, 
and not allowed to lie about with their roots exposed. 
You may plant them in rows 2 ft. apart, and about 
1 ft. apart in a row. 
Winter Tomatos.— Solatium : You will find it 
necessary to artificially pollenise the flowers by 
brushing them over lightly with a camel’s-bair 
brush. They will not set well otherwise. 
Fankias in Pots.— fas. Robson : We should advise 
you to put the Funkias under the stage in the green¬ 
house for the winter months. The plants are hardy 
enough in the open ground, it is true, but when in 
pots they are even more exposed to the effects of 
frost. Besides, severe frost will be likely to chip or 
split the pots. 
DIAMOND JUBILEE GROUP OF PLANTS 
AT EDINBURGH. 
The lively excitement over the competition in the 
four special Diamond Jubilee classes, instituted by 
the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society, at their 
show on the 8th and 9th September last, will still be 
fresh in the minds of many of our readers. For the 
benefit of those who were unable to be present at the 
show we reproduce the photograph of the Diamond 
Jubilee group of plants exhibited by Mr. John 
McIntyre, gardener to Mrs. Gurney Pease, Wood- 
side, Darlington, Durham, who carried off the 
premier award in a spirited competition. The figure 
on the extreme right of the picture is that of Mr. 
McIntyre himself. To his right and between him 
and the group is his brother. On the left of the 
photograph Mr. McIntyre's son may be seen, in¬ 
specting the group. 
The principal features of this fine arrangement of 
plants were the splendid Palms, Crotons, Dracaenas, 
Lilies, and Ferns. The centre was constructed on a 
boulder of rockwork, on which was elevated a fine 
specimen of Kentia fosteriana. Round the central 
mass were three other pedestals, each carrying a 
splendid plant of Cocos weddehana, which had a 
remarkable effect in the group owing to their light 
and graceful character. Alternating with these were 
tall specimens of Cocos flexuosa, the long arching 
leaves of which may be seen projecting far above the 
other subjects and towards the .extremities of the 
picture, thus breaking the surface and relieving any 
stiffness which might otherwise exist. 
The Crotons were notable for their colour, fresh¬ 
ness and well-furnished condition. They were 
dotted about and mingled with other plants in a 
way that showed good taste. Every plant was also 
so far isolated as to show off its individuality to the 
best advantage. The varieties of Croton used were 
Superbum, Brageanum, Warrenii, Prince of Wales, 
Countess, Aigburthense, Princess of Wales, and 
various others. There were other very noticeable 
features in the way of Marantas, Dracaenas, 
Sphaerogyne latifolia, and a well-grown plant of 
Leea amabilis, which was very much admired. The 
principal flowering subjects brightening the group 
w.re Lilium speciosum, Cattleyas, Odontoglossums, 
&c , which were judiciously arranged amongst the 
foliage plants. 
The arrangement of The group on the whole was 
universally admired for its lightness and cultured 
taste in the blending of the colours. There was one 
spot on which the eyes of the public were concen¬ 
trated, and that was the miniature lake and rockwork 
in the centre, the groundwork or setting consisting of 
moss, from amongst which the Ferns employed had 
a most natural appearance, as if growing there. 
Nothing like this arrangement has ever been carried 
out at Edinburgh on any former occasion. 
-**—- 
THE EVE OF THE EDINBURGH SHOW. 
Just a year ago to-day we were here to record the 
doings of our northern friends with a view to placing 
in permanent print a fitting account of the *' Battle 
of the ’Mums,” which is again to-day in preparation 
for the struggle of 1897. Within the last few days 
the battle ground has shifted from the great metro¬ 
polis by degrees, which include, of course, Birming¬ 
ham, Sheffield, Hull, and so forth. The year just 
past has of course brought with it a good many 
changes. One or two familar faces are missing, but 
the ranks of leading cultivators are never perman¬ 
ently empty. Newer and younger men are ready to 
fill up the ranks, and from the prospectus before us 
to-night, it is pretty evident that the 1897 show here 
will be little short, if indeed it is short at all, of the 
great events that have gone before it. The same 
surroundings are present, the now familar Waverley 
Market handsome in its proportions and handsomer 
still in the chaste decorations with which the council, 
in the exercise of a wise discretion, embue the scene 
year by year. 
Our readers will be familiar with the scene which 
usually presents itself overnight at the preparation 
of any of our big shows, the only distinction at 
Edinburgh being that here we truly have a building 
worthy of the occasion, and the time will surely 
come when London ought to be able to house our 
shows in some place that shall be legitimately 
capable of sheltering us from the wintry blasts of 
November. Strolling through the crowd of culti¬ 
vators we note with pleasure the arrival of several 
distinguished visitors from the south, most of whom 
will probably note with gratification the immensely 
satisfactory way in which the Edinburgh manage¬ 
ment has carried out with so much success the pre¬ 
cepts laid down by the National Chrysenthemum 
Society in London, and we are quite sure that as 
officers of the N.C.S., both Mr. T. W. Saunders 
and Mr. J. H. Witty, no less than Mr. Molyneux 
himself, who naturally is already on the field of 
battle, will look upon with pleasure and gratification 
the show which is offered by our Edinburgh friends. 
Mr. R. Laird is secretary, and with Mr. J. H. 
Murray as his indefatigable assistant, again support 
the machine which produces the motive of power, 
and to them unqestionable praise is due for marshal¬ 
ling into proper form, and for controlling in good 
temper and spirit the many interests, which are 
brought into play on such an occasion as this. 
It has been our custom for the past few years to 
present to our readers portraits of some of the 
celebrities with whom one meets at these annual 
gatherings. Tc-day we have the honour of submit¬ 
ting as worthy members of our portrait gallery the 
photos of Mr. M. Todd, president of the Scottish 
Horticultural Society, which body is responsible for 
the Chrysanthemum show. The second portrait is that 
of Mr. W. Smith, of Oxenford Castle, Dalkeith, a 
very well known face at all our Northern meetings, 
whilst Mr. Grieve, of Redbraes Nurseries, makes a 
fitting addition. 
The great annual Chrysanthemum competition 
of the Scottish Horticultural Association takes place 
on the i8tb, 19th, and 20th inst., with its usual ex¬ 
citement amongst the competitors, whose hopes and 
fears are realised on Thursday, the opening day of 
the show, when the judges fix their decisions to the 
exhibitor's cards. The extent and character of the 
Waverley Market make it unique as an under-cover 
place for the holding of exhibitions at any season of 
the year, and the horticultural community of Edin¬ 
burgh have reason to be thankful for this unsurpassed 
advantage. The thousands of blooms staged at the 
November contest irake the competition very keen, 
so that the successful are all the more gratified, 
while the losers feel that they have been beaten in 
good company. 
The opening day of the show makes it impossible 
for the report to appear in the ordinary issue, but a 
telegraphic report on Thursday will be published 
on Friday morning, and at the same time be obtain¬ 
able in the Waverley Market. As the show promises 
to be the finest yet held at Edinburgh for size and 
quality of bloom, the decisions of the judges will be 
awaited with interest, and readers should make a 
point of seeing the report in the special edition. 
