72 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
October 3, 1896. 
INTS FOR MMATEURS. 
BORDER CARNATIONS 
The time has now arrived when it will be well to 
make preparations for lifting the rooted layers. The 
recent rains have helped them along finely, and have, 
to a great extent,-made up for the trying experience 
of the drought, which lasted for some time after the 
shoots were pegged down. It is not advisable to 
defer the lifting and potting up of the layers too 
late in the month. From the beginning, to the 
middle of October is the best time for the operation, 
although it often happens that there is a press of 
work just at this season, with the result that the 
Carnations are pushed off for as long as possible. 
In lifting the layers it will first of all be necessary 
to sever the connection with the parent plant. Only 
a sharp knife must be used, so as not to disturb the 
layer, the roots of which are very tender, and will 
most probably not have obtained a good hold of the 
ground as yet. For the same reason a trowel should 
be used for lifting, in order that that portion of the 
soil in which the roots are running may be preserved 
intact. 
Layers not rooted —It often happens that some 
of the layers, when lifted, are found to be entirely 
destitute of roots, and this often causes the amateur 
to doubt as to whether he is right in lifting them at 
all. In such cases if the base of the cutting is found 
to be hardened (callused) over, it may be taken for 
granted that it will not hurt to lift it. Such cuttings 
often do as well as those which are furnished with 
roots, a condition they will have emulated by next 
spring 
Soil—This is not a very important consideration, 
as almost any ordinary material may be made to do 
duty. We have often had recourse to the old soil 
heap, whither all the old pot plants have been 
thrown. This generally furnishes good enough stuff, 
although it will be necessary to pass it through a 
half-inch meshed sieve in order to free it from 
rubbish. Such soil usually contains enough of sand, 
but a further addition of crushed bricks, or crocks 
broken up finely, is recommended. 
Pots.—Either 2.1 in. or 3 in. pots will do—the 
latter size being the more suitable for the layers of 
stronger growth and habit. One point, however, is 
of moment, and that is cleanliness. One crock in 
the bottom of the pot, with a few smaller pieces 
placed on the top, and covered with a little of the 
rougher part of the compost will be sufficient, as the 
plants will require but very little water all through 
the winter. 
One layer should be placed in each pot, and the 
soil should be made fairly firm by means of pressure 
with the fingers, and two or three smart taps upon 
the bench. If the soil is rather dry, a watering may 
be given immediately after potting, but in most cases 
the moisture in the soil will be sufficient for the time 
being. 
Labelling.—Wrong naming is a most fruitful 
cause of vexation, as well with professional as with 
amateur cultivators. It is highly provoking, to say 
the least of it, to find two or three different varieties 
bearing the same name, or other plants which have 
managed to change their names in some way or other 
during the passage of the period between one flower¬ 
ing season and another. Where numbers of 
varieties are grown, the best plan is to lift the layers 
of one sort only at a time, and to pot these oft before 
another lot is operated on. Most of the mixing and 
wrong naming is caused by lifting the lay ers all at 
once, and not taking sufficient care to keep them 
separate. It will also be time well spent to put a 
label to each pot, for labelling will only have to be 
done once, and if seen to now will not require to be 
attended to next March, when the plants are con¬ 
signed to their flowering quarters. 
Plunging.—Decidedly the best method of keeping 
the plants through the winter is to plunge the pots 
up to the rims in ashes in a cold frame. The plants 
may be stood quite close to each other, and it is 
astonishing how many can thus be stored away in a 
small space. 
All through the dull weather the plants should 
never be coddled, for to do so would be to injure 
their constitution, and instead of a batch of sturdy 
plants the result would be a lot of weaklings, with 
empty pots here and there speaking of numerous 
deaths. Whenever the themometer is above 32 0 
Fahr. air should be given, and even during rainy 
weather the lights should be tilted up at the back so 
as to allow of the admission of air, whilst at the 
same time excluding the rain. During frosty 
weather a few Russian mats, or if these are not to 
hand, a little dry straw, hay, or bracken may be 
thrown over the lights. We have known the soil in 
the pots to be frozen as hard as frost could make it, 
and yet the plants came up smiling after all. Car¬ 
nations will put up with a deal of cold through 
the autumn and winter months, but undue damp¬ 
ness at the root is a condition that must be avoided 
at all costs. 
Gathering Fruit 
The very phrase "gathering fruit” has a sort of 
satisfactory ring about it, and happy is the amateur 
who is able to boast of the still more satisfactory 
feeling that comes when one is able to regard, with 
the pride of ownership, numbers of trees with 
branches weighted with rosy Apples or luscious 
Pears. We hope all our readers are able to do this. 
With the exception of very late varieties, the fruit 
w ill now be ready for plucking. This is an operation 
of the highest importance. The fruit should be 
allowed to hang on long enough to enable it to perfect 
its full flavour, otherwise it will not only not eat well, 
but will not keep properly. On the other hand, it 
must not be left out too long, even if it is netted to 
protect it from the birds, otherwise some sudden 
squall will leave the amateur’s hopes as well as the 
greater part of his fruit dashed to the ground. The 
right moment forgathering, then, must be seized, and 
a dry day chosen, for obvious reasons. 
It is very easy to tell when Pears are fit to gather, 
for then the footstalk will part very readily from 
the branch to which it is attached Of course, it 
will be of no use to expect the fruit to be soft and 
toothsome before it is plucked — this will only come 
when it has lain for a longer or shorter period upon a 
shelf in a dry room. Apples also must part readily 
from the tree before they are fit to pick. 
Now it must be borne in mind that fruit trees 
generally do not care for rough handling. To hammer 
a tree with a ladder, lacerate its boughs, split its 
branches, and knock or pull off its fruit buds is not 
exactly the best thing to do to insure a crop for 
another year. It is true there is an old couplet 
about” a woman and a Walnut tree, the more you beat 
them the better they be,” but this system must not 
be put into practice with Apple and Pear trees, or it 
will be the trees, instead of the grower, that will 
" strike ” next season. 
So much with regard to the necessity for care 
when dealing with the trees ; now with regard to the 
fruit itself. This should be handled as if every 
Apple were an egg, and every Pear a piece of Sevres 
china. Even a slight bruise is fatal to the keeping 
Shallow baskets, for preference, should be used, a 
layer of hay being placed in the bottom of these. 
The filled baskets should be taken direct to the store¬ 
room, cupboard cellar, or whatever is used, and ihe 
fruit straightway transferred to its permanent 
quarters. Nothing like pouriDg the fruit from one 
basket to another, as if it were Potatos, should be 
attempted. It may also be advisable to remark that 
all ladders, steps, etc., that are employed for ascend¬ 
ing the trees should be safe, otherwise the operator 
may experience the unpleasant sensation of feeling 
the ground rise up and hit him, and scatter and 
shatter the fruit of his labours as well as his senses. 
The Storehouse. — Naturally, the best storeroom 
for the amateur will be the one he has got, as the 
conveniences are usually of the limited order of things. 
We may make mention here, however, of a plan of 
keeping Apples that we know to be adopted year by 
year in some quarters with conspicuous success. A 
cupboard under a staircase is utilised, the fruit being 
placed in shallow boxes, each capable of holding two 
or three layers. A sheet or two of newspaper is 
placed between each layer of fruit. Of course, this 
system scarcely comes up to orthodox ideas, as it is 
not possible to look the fruit over very often, but in 
want of a better plan it may certainly be practised 
Whatever place is made a storeroom of, pro ton, it 
must be so constructed that it can be securely locked 
up, or it is very certain that the fruit will not keep. 
— Rex. 
- -j-- 
Red pickling Cabbages are sent to our markets from 
Rotterdam, by the Dutch growers who are able to 
supply very highly coloured samples. The Dutch 
have long been noted for Red Cabbages. 
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. 
Apples in Bad Condition. —The article entitled 
“ The Use and Abuse of the Pruning Knife," by 
A. P., on p. 59 of the last issue of The Gardening 
World, is “an ower true tale” in far too many 
instances we are afraid, Frank. Have you read it ? 
if not, we should advise you to do so without delay, 
as it will give you the key to the reason why your 
Apples have done so badly. 
Worms in Pots — Y., Acton, complains of worms 
in his flower pots. The lime-water recommended to 
Thos. Bates to get rid of the same little pests from 
lawns is the best remedy. It may be prepared 
according to the recipe there given. 
Nerines—After the plants have gone out of flower 
you may remove them to a cold frame, Meg, if you 
think they are too unsightly to remain in the con¬ 
servatory. Whatever you do, though, don’t follow 
out your suggestion of drying off the plants now. 
They must be kept growing on now, and an 
occasional dose of liquid manure will be very helpful. 
Soot as a Lawn Dressing. —You will find that 
soot is at once an inexpensive and effectual dressing 
for lawns, G. Trehearne. Sprinkled upon the grass 
before a shower its revivifying effects are great. 
Covering for Bees. —We should advise you to 
take out a bar from each end of the hive, R. Denton, 
and to substitute a wooden dummy. This will help 
to keep the bees warm, as it will drive them into 
narrower compass. The slides guarding the teahole 
may also be pushed so close as to admit the passage 
of only one bee at a time. This will not only assist 
the bees in resisting the attacks of robbers, but will 
also exclude a good deal of the cold air. Several 
thicknesses of coarse flannel should be covered over 
the frames at the top, and the wooden cover securely 
placed over all, and weighted down by a couple of 
bricks or pieces of stone. The last is a very necessary 
precaution, as if the top is not secured, heavy winds 
and squalls may blow it off, to the no small detriment 
of the occupants. 
Cyanide of Potassium is the very best specific for 
taking wasps’ nests, Reader. A teaspoonful poured 
into the hole, whether by day or night, means 
certain death to the whole of the inmates. It is 
rather a curious sight when the cyanide is applied in 
the daytime to see the insects flocking home, but 
none coming out. This is a much better dodge than 
the old one of burning the holes out with petroleum, 
or blowing them up with gunpowder. As cyanide of 
potassium is a^eadly poison, it must be kept in a 
safe place, and out of the way of children. 
Worms on a Lawn. — I have a small bit of lawn 
which is constantly made unsightly by the upheaving 
of almost countless small heaps of earth by the 
worms, there being a clean cut round hole at each 
heap. If I roll the grass one day it becomes quite 
unsightly in one or two nights, whilst there are 
scores of spaces in which the grass seems to be 
destroyed. Will you kindly say if there is a remedy, 
and oblige.— Thos. Bates. 
The best plan for you to adopt in order to get rid 
of these objectionable worms is to make a quantity 
of lime-water, and water your lawn well with it. 
The solution may be made by pouring the water on 
the lime at the rate of two gallons of the former to 
one pound of the latter. Let this solution stand for 
forty-eight hours. Then pour the clear water off, 
leaving the sediment at the bottom, and use as 
suggested The worms will then come to the surface 
in a nearly helpless state, when they may be swept 
off by the broom or picked off by hand. If one 
application fails to remove all the worms, the 
operation may be repeated after a short interval. 
Continue to give an occasional rolling, as you have 
hitherto done. 
Heavy Potatos.— In response to the invitation in 
The Gardening World, p. 24, I may say I planted 
3 lb. of The Sutton Flourball last April, lifted them 
