649 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
June 10, 1899. 
INTS FOR MMATEURS. 
Watering.— Of all the operations included under 
indoor gardening work, watering is the most impor¬ 
tant. To water properly in all cases, one must have 
had long experience with all kinds of cultivated 
plants. The gardener has to reckon with many 
principles in this art. First, much depends on the 
season of the year; the weather conditions prevailing 
at the period ; the classes of plants under treatment; 
stage of growth ; whether they have broad or narrow, 
thick or thin, soft and porous or firm and tough 
foliage and wood. There must be few I presume 
who have not at one time or another “ drowned ” a 
plant. The foliage of plants which have received 
too much water generally droops, turns pale in 
colour, becomes flaccid, the edges are converted to 
yellow and soon the whole plant collapses. But 
though there may be geniuses who never hurt a 
plant by over-watering, I cannot be contradicted 
when I say that no plantsman is innocent of never 
having had a dry plant, that is, one drooping from 
want. We are naturally curious to understand how, 
in these different cases, the results are identical. 
To satisfy ourselves we must investigate root-action. 
The feeding roots are those which are slender and 
fibrous. Their tips are protected by a root-cap or 
plleorhiza. The roots contain an acid which aids in 
dissolving the elements around them. Beneath, or 
above the cap, are cells having a thin membraneous 
wall and filled with a thick fluid—protoplasm, &c. 
Now, the water outside and around the roots has an 
affinity for the cell-fluids, viz., the fluids separated 
by a membrane permeable to both (the fluid in the 
cells and the water outside),and they will flow through 
the said membrane and intermingle. The law in 
these cases is, that the thinner fluid rises faster than 
the denser one descends. The process is that of 
"osmosis.” The water (salts) at the root tips wets 
the cells of the outer membrane, elbows its way 
between its constituent particles so to speak, and 
getting inside, diffuses itself through the thicker 
fluid. Of course the cells become very full and 
dilated, but the neighbour cells above feel a need for 
nourishment and so the lower cells pass on the 
watery " staff of life” by the same process as they 
themselves came by their quantity. Thus, cell by 
cell, the water with its chemical elements — combined 
to form " salts ”—passes upwards through the roots, 
and the stems, and the branches, to the leaves. 
The leaves have pores (stomata) which open 
according to the atmospheric conditions and allow 
nearly all the water to pass off in vapour (transpira¬ 
tion). The water, or most of it, only acts the part 
of a porter to carry the building matter for the 
plants' structure as,—nitrogen, potash, sulphur, 
&c , to the leaves. Having done its work it is quitted. 
So this is the story of root-action and of the leaves' 
work. Very well, when the plant has a proper 
quantity of watery fluid the cells are plumped and 
turgid, and enough rises from the roots to supply the 
continual loss at the leaves. But when the roots 
have no moisture about them, none can be sent 
upwards and as a consequence, from continual loss 
of vapour and no sustenance forthcoming, the cells 
become flaccid, they greatly contract, and in a very 
short time our plant is limp and withered. The 
answer to the opposite cause is simple. Water is a 
great solvent. Oft-repeated applications produce 
too much acid solution in the soil. The soil becomes 
soured, i.e., acidulous. In the first instance, with 
too much water the plant becomes gorged. Like a 
person who has eaten " not wisely but too well,” and 
whose system flags under the pressure it must bear, 
so likewise the plant flags from increased expansion 
and when least able to bear against deleterious 
agencies, the acid-laden sap forges up and poisons 
the burdened system. To guard against giving 
incorrect supplies careful cultivators will examine 
the surface soil. If not satisfied at a glance, they 
may " ring ” the pots, or further, lift them wholly to 
test by weight, which is probably the surest way. 
Other considerations when watering, are :—Time of 
day (though in summer the evening is best), state, 
or anticipated state of the weather. Flowering 
plants as a rule require much less water than plants 
in growth. When the soil is dry throughout, 
thorough soakings must be given. Liquid man¬ 
ure waterings are beneficial to the generality of 
fast-growing soft-wooded plants after their allotment 
of soil has been occupied. Many, or most, plants 
have a resting season, at which period water should 
be afforded in such quantity as will just keep ever¬ 
greens plump without inciting them to growth, or 
water may be lessened or entirely withheld where 
plants are deciduous and require ripening. Warm 
water, 6o° to 65° Fahr., given to fast-growing plants 
like Justicias, Salvias, causes increased speed of 
growth. Plants, however, should be speedily grown, 
and induced to be short-jointed or pleasingly compact 
rather than straggling and loose. 
The watering of newly potted plants must be 
regulated by the condition of the new soil. If it has 
been in proper condition they are better without 
water at first, and the operation should be deferred 
till they require it. Dewing overhead generally 
answers till they need root moisture. The " flood¬ 
ing-home ” of trees or shrubs outdoors is, however, 
a commendable practice. Very tender seedlings, or 
seed in pans, can best receive moisture by plunging 
the pots or pans to the rim in water. Various 
classes of plants require different amounts and at 
varying times, but our paper cannot deal in detail, if 
the principles spoken of are heeded, and thought 
given to the structure and physiological natures of 
the plants, a careful person should not go far amiss. 
Zonal Pelargoniums. —For those who may desire 
variety of form in the growth of their Pelargoniums 
the system of training them to form standards is a 
good one. Let the young plants run up to 2 ft. or 
higher, having only a single central shoot. Give it 
some support, and when high enough and strong 
pinch out the tip of the shoot. It will throw forth 
its power in the growth of shoots from buds below 
the part pinched. Let these shoots grow out, regu¬ 
lating them a little, but rub off any below a height 
of :£ ft. Plants for standard training must be grown 
very stoutly, to secure the buds as near each other 
as will be required for an even break of shoots below 
the pinch. Train them out in semi-spherical shape, 
using wire netting to form a pattern, down to which 
the shoots must be bent. The netting will be formed 
like an expanded umbrella, and be taken close up to 
the base of the shoots. For a potting compost take 
two parts of good loam, and one each of leaf mould, 
dry cow or spent mushroom-bed dung, and a 
judicious addition of sand with a very small quantity 
of bruised charcoal. Pot them firmly, and keep them 
afterwards attended to with water, and pinch them 
when the shoots go ahead too extravagantly. Pinch 
off the flower buds up till within a fortnight before 
blooms are desired, or allow them longer time to 
expand according to the period of the year. Liquid 
manure they like, and they also enjoy a light position 
with freedom to droop down. 
Where Phloxes are planted out in beds, and a 
mulch of dung would not be offensive, such a dres¬ 
sing would be highly advantageous to them. Stakes 
should be looked out, and some may now be used for 
the Liliums and the Paeonies. The latter would be 
the better from having their bloom buds singled down 
to the terminal bud, and probably a couple of lower 
laterals. 
Climbers do not have the same grace when they 
are methodically regulated and trimmed, yet they do 
need a little of both. Ivy that has not been cut 
back before this time should have this pruning at 
once. The hoe must be often in use, and the lawn 
mowers will also have their work. Where the 
lawns are poor and not vigorous, constant rolling 
will benefit both the appearance and the growth. 
Beacon. 
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Correspondence. 
Questions ashed 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 who desire 
their communications to appear on this page should write 
"Amateurs' Page " on the top of their letters. 
Rooting Cuttings. — Enquirer-. Sand is recommended 
in the soil for striking cuttings, because though it 
has no nutriment to benefit the cuttings it acts as 
a conductor of heat and moisture and in retaining an 
even medium of these two essentials. It opens the 
compost and so allows the very tender fibrous root¬ 
lets to gyrate easily in various directions. It also 
aids it retaining the sweetness and purity of the soil. 
We hope this answers your question. 
Summer Cloud. — Reader: Put your shading on 
the outside of the glass, choosing a dry, breezy day 
for the work. Painting under the glass would cause 
you no end of trouble. By trying a stout spar firmly 
across a ladder you will have a means of supporting 
the same when placed against the house to allow you 
to reach the higher surface. 
Plantago Media,— Edward Clark : To eradicate 
this weed from your meadow will mean some little 
outlay and considerable time. Here are a few 
suggestions :—Set a batch of lads to work and bid 
them either take up the plants, root and stump, or 
at least to cut the tap-root low down with a 
spud or old knife. Otherwise you might use the 
“ Daisy-Killer ” of which you will find more mention 
at page 555, April 29th. Again try the effect of 
Fowler’s Lawn Sand, for the Plantago leaves, beiDg 
succulent may be destroyed in the same way as 
Daises are. It is of little value only to keep the 
flowers cut off; but if once the whole meadow is 
gone over and the plants cut below (the crown, it 
will be an easy matter to keep the Plantains in check 
afterwards. Might not your meadow be helped by 
burning any dead and tufted grass, doing this in the 
autumn ? Once free apply a rich fine soil or dung 
dressing to encourage the grass. 
Peat for Ferns.— St. Andrew: Peat might be used 
oftener in the compost for many species of Ferns, 
and give good results. It may be done without 
when good turfy loam is employed and the Ferns 
would be neither better nor worse. Good peat is a 
humic composition, yielding some nitrogen and 
mineral ash by its decay, and this granted its influ¬ 
ence on leafy-growing plants is very evident. It 
also is beneficial in preserving moisture, and in 
opening the soil for aeration. We have used it for 
Adiantums (aloDg with a larger proportion of loam) 
Gymnogrammes, Gleichenias, Pteris, and nearly all 
other species. Good peat for Ferns should be dark- 
brown, and fibrous, but with a good deal of “ body," 
that is, the finer and more compact matter resulting 
from long decay and settlement. 
Garden Peas.— D. McKenzie: Two goodjvarieties 
for your purpose would be " Duke of Albany " and 
"Ne Plus Ultra.” Both have long been tried and 
are still largely sown. Autocrat is another good 
variety, as likewise Veitch’s Perfection, Telephone, 
and Telegraph. 
Rhodanthe.— C. A. S.: —The proper name for 
these pretty Composites is Helipterum. They are 
closely related to Helichrysum, and it seems to us a 
great kindness was done to mankind in making such 
pretty flowers, of an undecaying or "everlasting” 
nature. They are easy of culture. Sow the seeds 
of Helipterum—H. Manglesii is the variety mostly 
grown—in the pots they are to flower in, over the 
surface of the soil, which should be light and rich, 
early in the month of March, covering the seeds 
very slightly. Place them in a light position near 
the glass of a house with a temperature ranging 
between 55 0 and 6o° Fah. Stake them when they 
need support and be attentive in watering until they 
show flower, which should be in early May. The 
pinky flower heads with slender stalks and small 
glaucous foliage are pretty to everybody’s eyes. 
Sweet Peas.— Arthur Scotl: We do not think it 
would be to your advantage to select named varieties 
for sowing, unless you wish to compete in some 
entry for cut-flowers at a flower show. You will 
find Blanche Burpee, white; Queen Victoria, pale 
yellow ; Venus, pale lemon-pink ; Lovely, pink ; Her 
Majesty, soft rosy-pink; Stanley, bronzy-purple; 
Sensation, Modesty, Trump and Cultivation, a very 
nice choice should you think of making a list. You 
can sow now on till the middle of June, in deep drills 
and give them a rich moist bottom. Staking, due 
thinning, if need be, and attention to watering and 
mulching too if the season proves very dry, will be 
all you need trouble about. 
Calanthes.— W. J. : C. Veitchii is a strong grow¬ 
ing deciduous Orchid of garden origin. Calanthes 
are placed in two sections, evergreen or deciduous, 
those of the latter type requiring a rest after flowering, 
the period for C. Veitchii being December till April. 
They should be grown in pots or pans which are 
thoroughly drained, deep, and in placing the pseudo¬ 
bulbs in position for potting see to it that the growths 
are evenly distributed. Turfy loam, mixed with dry 
