376 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 11, 1899. 
? i nts for Amateurs. 
SOME SEASONABLE FLOWERS. 
Acacia dealbata. — At the present time there is no 
more popular flowering subject than this handsome 
Acacia. Tons of it are being disposed of in the 
markets, chiefly from the gardens of the South of 
France, and " Mimosa,” as it is commonly called in 
the market, is to be seen in every florist’s shop as 
well as at every street corner in the metropolis. The 
bright yellow, fluffy balls of flowers appear to great 
advantage in connection with the lively green of the 
much divided, feathery leaves, and long sprays of it 
are admirable for cut flower arrangements of all 
kinds. Bunches of it can be purchased very cheaply, 
so cheaply, indeed, that one is led to wonder where 
the profit to the grower, the middleman, and the 
retailer is to come in after all expenses of carriage 
and packing have been paid. 
That the Silver Wattle tree is high in favour as an 
ornamental plant upon the Continent is unmistak¬ 
able, and it is lkewise evident that it must pay to 
grow it for market, otherwise it would not be taken 
up by so many cultivators. At home, here, it might 
be made equally useful. It is true we have not the 
climate ihat enables us to grow and flower the plant 
cut of doors, but in a greenhouse or a cool conserva- 
trry, with a temperature somewhere between 40°and 
45° Fahr., it may be had in all its glory during the 
early months of the year. The plant takes kindly to 
cultivation in pots, and it commences to flower at a 
comparatively early stage in its life history, and if 
given ordinarily careful treatment, continues to 
flower annually. 
When planted out in prepared borders it does even 
better, for the larger root run encourages freer 
growth, and this is of some importance where basket¬ 
fuls of flower are cut away from it each season. At 
no period of its growth is the tree unsightly, except, 
perhaps, just after it has been pruned, for the foliage 
is light and elegant; indeed, the plant is worth grow¬ 
ing for that alone. The magnificent specimens that 
may be seen planted out at Kew and elsewhere, 
demonstrate conclusively what a fine cool house sub¬ 
ject this Acacia is. 
In the matter of soil it is very easily pleased. 
Equal parts of good loam and leaf soil with sand will 
make a capital compost. If a few pieces of charcoal 
are to hand they may be added, but although useful 
they are not essential, except, perhaps, in cases where 
it is intended that the tree should stop for the whole 
of its life. In the case of pot plants it is advisable to 
pot firmly so as to keep down the size of the pot as 
much as possible. The plants do better out of doers 
during tfce latter part of the summer than they do 
under glass, for they ripen their wood equally well, 
and are not nearly so liable to be attacked with 
thrips. It is manifest, therefore, that some attempt 
should be made to keep the plants in pots whose 
weight does not preclude the possibility of shifting 
them. 
These pot plants make exceedingly handsome 
objects just now. They come in after the Chrys¬ 
anthemums are over, when the lack of flowers is very 
apparent, and they tide things over until forced 
material becomes plentiful, and Camellias and 
Azaleas are claiming attention. 
Some amount cf pruning will be required, at all 
events with young plants, in order to keep them in 
trim. This pruning is best given after flowering is 
over. Nothing like hard stubbing back should be 
attempted, but shoots that have outgrown their 
limits may be shortened, and dead snags cut out 
The new growth will then have a chance to push 
vigorously and all the branches will be clothed 
instead of some of them being bare and unsightly. 
Potting, where required, is best done just as the 
young shoots are beginning to push. A few doses 
of liquid farmyard manure, not too rank, will help 
the plants wonderfully during the growing season. 
In Acacia dealbata, then, the amateur has a plant 
which he can cultivate with every chance of success. 
It only requires shelter during the winter and spring, 
and can be turned out of doors in summer to make 
room for something else. From the beauty point of 
view the plant will compare favourably with any- 
thing else that is grown, and if cut flowers are 
wanted there are plenty to cut at. 
Astilbe japonica.—Possibly there are many 
amateurs who would not recognise under this name 
the old favourite Spiraea which has for so many 
years been accorded an honoured place in the con¬ 
servatory during the earlier months of the year. 
The plant is, of course, an Astilbe, and as such 
belongs to the natural order Saxifragaceae, The 
genus Spiraea, on the other hand, belongs to the 
closely allied order Rosaceae. This distinction is 
not appreciated by the majority of cultivators ; the 
plant has been known as a Spiraea, and as such it 
will continue to be known as far as they are con¬ 
cerned. Like many another popular subject the 
plant has a plurality of names which have been 
applied to it at various times. In addition to the 
two mentioned there are Spiraea barbata, Astilbe 
barbata, and Hoteia japonica, so that it has been 
placed in three genera, whilst the changes have been 
rung upon the two specific names barbata (bearded) 
and japonica (Japanese). •»- 
Whatever disagreement there may have been in 
the past amongst savants as to the proper name and 
affinities of the plant in question there is at least 
unanimity of opinion amongst growers as to its value 
for ornamental purposes. Not only is it of the 
greatest service for providing cut flowers for all sorts 
of florists’ work, but the plants themselves are 
among the most decorative of any at our disposal. 
If good strong clumps are obtained, and properly 
potted up and looked after, they invariably develop 
into symmetrical specimens, the broad, substantia] 
base of bright green foliage being surmounted by 
large, erect, plume-like panicles of white flowers, the 
association of the two being an eminently happy and 
effective one. 
The forcing routine is exceedingly simple, and any 
amateur possessing a heated house can easily manage 
the “ Spiraeas.” The clumps ccme to hand in the 
autumn, and should be potted up as soon as they 
are received, subsequently being plunged in ashes or 
cocoanut fibre refuse in order that they may push 
fresh roots into the new soil. From the plunging 
bed they may be removed into heat in batches as 
required. A couple of dozen plants will thus furnish 
a succession of flower for a loDg time if they are 
split up into batches of three or four plants each, and 
about ten days allowed between the putting of each 
batch into heat. 
In pottiDg, the soil should consist of two-thirds 
loam, and one-third leaf soil with sand. The clumps 
are of good size, and it is advisable to get them into 
as small pots as practicable in order to enhance the 
decorative value of the plants as much as possible. 
There will thus be room for only a very little soil, 
and this must be rammed down well all round the 
ball. There will not be room between the ball and 
the sides of the pot for an ordinary rammer to work, 
so a thin lath must be brought to bear, and the so:l 
worked down well all round so as to fill up every 
crevice. There will not be much room for drainage, 
and a single large crock put in the bottom of the pot, 
and covered with a little of the roughest part of the 
soil will be found sufficient for all purposes. 
If the soil is not made firm round the ball in the 
manner suggested, it will be found later on that the 
plants will be very liable to flag at very short notice. 
With so many roots confined in so small a space, 
and with a big vegetative system to support, Spiraeas 
need a great deal of water ; indeed it is this respect 
that the amateur finds his only difficulty in dealing 
with them. They appear to be damp enough at the 
roots at breakfast-time, perhaps, and then before 
dinner-time, if the day be bright, they are flagging 
down over the edge of the pots. Haste is made to 
water them then, and yet they will very probably be 
dry and flagging again before night. A few days of 
neglect such as this and the beauty of the plants is 
gone, for the tips of the leaves put on a scorched and 
burnt up appearance and the flowers and flower 
stems look as if all the substance had been dried 
out of them. 
In order to keep the plants right when in full 
growth they must be thoroughly soaked the first 
thing in the morning, looked over and wa ered again 
if necessary at midday, and looked over again about 
three o’clock in the afternoon. Liquid manure 
should be given freely, as the plants are heavy feeders, 
and soon take all the available food out of the soil. 
When the crowns are first placed in heat they will 
not, of course, require so much, a sprinkling by means 
of the syringe twice a day being enough for them.— 
Rex 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
Anyone may give additional or more explanatory answers 
to questions that have already appeared. Those whajiesire 
their communications to appear on this page should write 
“Amateurs' Page ” on the top op their letters. 
Cerasus Lauro-cerasus latifolia is the largest- 
leaved Cherry Laurel in cultivation, G. N. It should 
suit your purpose admirably, as it grows quickly and 
soon makes a big clump. The large, deep green 
leaves are very ornamental, and the plant is very 
hardy. 
Soil for Rhododendrons.— If your soil contains 
much lime it will be almost useless to attempt to grow 
Rhododendrons in it. You would need to dig out the 
beds and fill them in with a prepared compost of peat, 
leaf soil, and loam, with sand. Fully half the com¬ 
post should be of peat. If this cannot be obtained, 
sandy loam and leaf soil may be employed. Rhodo¬ 
dendron ponticum will do well in an ordinary sandy 
or gravelly loam, and most of its many beautiful 
varieties will likewise succeed in this soil. If your 
soil is naturally a sandy loam, and free from lime, 
we should not recommend going to all the trouble of 
digging out and filling in the beds with specially pre¬ 
pared composts, although there are plenty of cases 
when this is necessary. 
Rhododendron arhoreum. — A. : We should 
describe this fine Himalayan Rhododendron as 
being half hardy in this country. It will grow and 
flower out of doors in the southern and south-western 
counties, and in Devon and Cornwall especially it is 
a great success ; but in the midlands and north the 
winters are, as a rule, too stiff for it. It matters not 
that we get about three mild winters for one hard 
one, for after a long spell of sharp frost the plant is 
not in condition to try again. 
Soil for Young Chrysanthemums.— A mateur : The 
compost for the rooted cuttings may be composed of 
equal parts of peat and loam with a sprinkling of 
of sharp sand. 
The Lemon-scented Yerbena — C. C. C. : The 
Lemon-scented Verbena, as it is popularly called, is 
not a Verbena at all, although it belongs to the 
natural order Verbenaceae. Its proper name is 
Lippia citriodora, although it may be still met with 
under the name of Aloysia citriodora. Its other name 
Verbena triphylla is well nigh forgotten now. 
Potting Acer palmatum atrosanguineum — C. J. 
S .: This Acer, like all the varieties of the versatile 
species A. palmatum, may be grown for several 
jears without repotting, and if your plant is healthy 
and the drainage in working order it would not be 
advisable to disturb the roots. A little liquid manure 
presently, when the plant is in full growth, will not 
come amiss. 
Bedding Plans. —Tyro : You appear to have very 
little variety of material at command, and you have 
also not told us what sorts of Pelargoniums ypu 
have. The following arrangement, however, appears 
to us to be as varied and showy as can be obtained 
with the available plantsNo. 4, being the centre 
of the system, should be filled with taller plants than 
the rest. The centre of the bed may be filled with a 
standard Fuchsia about 4 ft. in height, a smaller 
Fuchsia being placed at each of the four corners. 
The ground work should consist of tuberous 
Begonias, with a few Coreopses and white Victoria 
Asters intermixed. The edging may consist of blue 
Lobelia with clumps of the “ variegated Grass ” you 
mention (Dactylis glomerata elegantissima), dotted 
here and there about 18 in. apart. Nos. 3 and 5 may be 
filled with Perilla, with a double edging of Golden 
Feather and blue Lobelia, a single row of each. 
Nos. 2 and 6 may be filled with Stocks—one of the 
tallest Ten Week white varieties, say Perpetual 
Perfection. The edging here may be of dwarf 
German Asters, which will only grow about 8 in. 
high. In the centre of No. 1 dot a specimen of 
Grevillea robusta or a Castor-oil Plant. Next to 
this place a ring of a double row of Scarlet Pelar¬ 
goniums, next a row of Calceolarias, then a row of 
dwarf Asters, white for preference, and finish up 
with an edging of blue Lobelia. No. 7 should have 
a dot plant in the centre similar to that in No. 1. 
Next to this repeat the rings of Scarlet Pelargoniums 
and Asters, but substitute Tagetes signata pumila 
