232 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
December 12, 1896. 
HINTS FOR MMATEURS. 
Seakale Beds.— As soon as time can be spared these 
should be gone over, and the dead leaves cleared 
away, together with any weeds or other rubbish that 
may be present. Afterwards the crowns may be 
covered over with a little stable litter or some leaves. 
The buds will then have an opportunity of swelling, 
and when the pots are put on a saviog of time will 
result. With all respect to the practice of lifting the 
roots and forcing them, the quality of the material 
obtained from plants covered with pots and leaves, 
and allowed to come on slowly in the open ground as 
they stand is superior to the quality of the forced 
material. Growers for market care very little about 
the quality of an article as long as it looks all right 
and will sell well, but those gardeners who wish to 
obtain Seakale of the highest excellence, both with 
regard to appearance and flavour, may well compare 
with each other the results obtained from both 
systems. 
Forcing Seakale by lifting the roots is the most 
effectual and the easiest method of obtaining early 
produce, and on the latter account, if on no other, it 
is the method that most warmly recommends itself to 
amateur cultivators. Seakale pots are rather 
expensive things to buy, and they take up a 
deal of room when they are not in use. For the man 
with the small garden, where room is necessarily a 
most important consideration, it is obvious that a 
stock of large pots of this kind is out of the question. 
Therefore to lift the roots and force them under 
cover is the only alternative. 
A stock of roots obtained from small root cuttings 
planted last March should be on hand. Such cuttings 
will make good stuff for forcing after a season’s 
growth. The whole of the stock may be lifted from 
the ground, if desired, and covered over with sand or 
leaf mould in a shed or out-house, where they can be 
readily got at when wanted. They will take no 
harm if left in the open ground, but it must be re¬ 
membered that it would be difficult to lift them 
during spells of severe frost. 
Preparing the roots—A little preparation will be 
necessary before the roots are potted up. The 
strongest side roots may be cut off with a sharp knife, 
as they would be of little value if left, and the forcing 
roots will take up less space after the trimming. The 
little pieces of thong-like roots removed should be 
tied up in bundles, and covered with sand or soil, in 
readiness for planting next spring, to produce next 
year’s stock of forcing material. 
Eight-inch pots make very handy receptacles for 
the roots. A single crock should be covered over the 
hole at the bottom. Leaf soil is capital stuff to use 
as a growing medium, inasmuch as it is light and 
cleanly. An eight-inch pot will comfortably hold 
five good-sized crowns. No ramming of the leaf soil 
should be attempted, as a few taps on the bench 
during potting will impart all the firmness required. 
When potting is finished the terminal buds of the 
roots and a little of the woody portion should be 
peeping above the soil. 
Perfect darkness must be obtained if the produce 
is to be well blanched, and whatever position the 
plants are placed in this must be seen to. 
Temperature is a matter of equal importance. To 
place the roots in a brisk heat would be simply 
ruinous to the quality of the produce. A temperature 
of above 6o° Fahr. at any time would cause tough¬ 
ness and wiryness of growth, and the flavour would 
be correspondingly poor. The slower the crowns are 
allowed to come on the better. A pericd of from 
five to seven weeks is needed between the potting of 
the roots and the cutting of the Seakale. Five weeks 
represents the extreme of safety on the one side, and 
seven weeks is quite long enough to wait. Six weeks 
then may be considered the happy medium. After 
potting, a temperature, of from 45° to 50° Fahr. is 
quite high enough. This may be increased gradually 
to 55 0 , and results have determined that this is the 
best temperature, as it will give us Seakale of first- 
class quality within a reasonable length of time. 
From the above temperatures, which have been 
recommended as being the most suitable it will be 
seen that the amateur need be in no great difficulty. 
There are plenty of positions that may be found in 
which such a temperature may easily be maintained. 
The Mushroom house is of course the very best place, 
as here we get not only an equable temperature of 
the required height, but the requisite amount of 
atmospheric moisure to insure the blanched stems 
being juicy and of good flavour. Various cupboards 
and cellars may likewise be utilised. Cupboards 
near to fireplaces should not be chosen if it can be 
avoided, as the atmosphere they aontain is too dry 
and parching to yield the best results, but still they 
may be employed if no other convenience offers. 
Strawberry Crowns for forcing. — Although 
Strawberries are hardy enough with regard to cold, 
the crowns, which have been potted up into six inch 
pots, should not be left out of doors any longer. 
Deluges of rain and heavy falls of snow tend to make 
the soil in the pots wet and sour, especially where 
they are plunged in ashes outside. If possible a cold 
frame should be spared for them, and they may 
either be plunged in ashes within it, or simply stood 
in it close together. Plunging in ashes helps to pro¬ 
tect the pots from being splintered by sharp frosts, 
but as far as the plants are concerned it does not 
matter very much as to whether it is done or not. In 
a cold frame the plants will be shielded from all rain 
and snow, and will consequently be in a more 
favourable condition at the root to respond quickly 
to the influences of heat than they would if left out¬ 
side unprotected. Plenty of air must be given at all 
times, and the lights should be pulled off whenever 
it is dry. This naturally does not apply to times 
when the glass is thickly coated by the frost, for 
although the frost would not hurt the plants, there is 
great danger of breaking the glass by shifting the 
light about when severe frost holds. 
EndiYe in Frames.—The sudden spell of very 
mild weather following the frosts with which the 
month was ushered in, will do a deal of damage to 
plants of Endive, which were lifted and planted out 
in frames about the beginning of November. Give 
plenty of air here as soon as it is light in the morn¬ 
ing, and leave it on as long as possible. Cover the 
frames up each night regularly. With the atmo¬ 
sphere standing so close to saturation point water 
will not be required. 
Lachenalias in baskets.—When grown in baskets 
Lachenalias are undeniably useful and beautiful 
objects for the conservatory. They will now be 
calling for greater quantities of water, although it is 
too early yet to give them anything but clear water. 
Forcing should not be attempted to any extent, for 
the less fire-heat that is given the plants the sturdier 
will be the growth, and the finer and belter the 
flowers. An ordinary greenhouse temperature will 
suit the plants well throughout the winter months, 
and we have noticed some grand baskets of Lachen¬ 
alias in amateurs’ greenhouses, from which the frost 
has been little more than barely kept out in the cold 
weather. 
Roman Hyacinths in the drawing-room.— 
While the ladies of the household are fond enough of 
the delicate white flowers of the Roman Hyacinth, 
they are apt to inveigh very strongly against the 
clumsiness and unwieldly character of the pots. It 
is not generally known by amateur cultivators that it 
is possible, if sufficient care is taken, to knock 
Hyacinths in flower out of their pots and transplant 
them into various fancy bowls and stands within the 
dwelling house. The roots of the plants should be 
gently freed from soil, and every care taken not to 
bruise or injure them. Cocoa-nut fibre refuse should 
be used instead of soil, than which it is far more 
cleanly, whilst answering precisely the same purpose. 
Should any of the fancy receptacles, which it is 
desired to fill, be perforated at the sides or bottom to 
any extent, and thus render it rather difficult to keep 
the cocoa-nut fibre within bounds, a first lining of 
damp moss should be given. If desired also the 
upper surface may be entirely mossed over, as moss, 
if it gets a fair amount of light, will keep its colour 
for a long time, and thus produces alasting as well as 
pleasing effect.— Rex. 
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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. 
Winter Flowering Carnations —The lowness of 
temperature is the reason why your Carnations do 
not open, David Nash. A heat of from 55 0 to 58° 
Fahr. by night is required to do Carnations properly 
at this time of the year. Be careful with the water¬ 
ing. Liquid farmyard manure may be given 
occasionally with good results. Take care, however, 
that it is not too strong. Only enough of it should 
be put in to colour the water a light brown. It is 
useless to give measurements, as farmyard manure 
varies so in strength. 
Newly planted Fruit Trees.—Your neighbour has 
set you an excellent example, F. Bray, in mulching 
his fruit trees, and you will do well to follow it wiih- 
out delay. Stable manure about half decomposed is 
the best material. 
Magnolia grandiflora. M. York wishes to know if 
it is necessary to cover up Magnolia grandiflora for 
the winter ; also Tea Roses, and the best method of 
covering. 
So far noith as York, it will be necessary to cover 
the Magnolia, and such protection as is necessary 
can be easily given by Russian mats. These should 
be joined end to end until a blanket of sufficient size 
to cover the whole of the tree is obtained. This 
should be fixed over the tree in such a way that it 
can be easily rolled up to let the light in during mild 
weather. Tea Roses will likewise need protection, 
and a load of dry bracken is the very best thing to 
use. A little of this may be lightly shaken over each 
plant, and it is surprising how much frost it will keep 
out. 
Campanula Medium calycanthema.—A cold frame 
will do for the plants throughout the winter, S. T. T. 
Cover the plants up well in frosty weather, and do 
not give much water. 
Pruning Lapagerias—My Lapagerias have 
flowered fairly well through the latter part of last 
summer, and as they had made a lot of growth 
previously, I suppose they will want some pruning. 
Will you kindly inform me, first, what is the best 
time to prune ? and second, how to do it ? F. Shooter. 
You may prune your Lapagerias at any time from 
now until the plants start into growth in the spring. 
The exact time at which they will do this, will 
entirely depend upon the way in which you keep 
your house with regard to temperature. The warmer 
you keep it the sooner they will start. In pruning 
you may cut out the growths that have already 
flowered, which you can easily pick out from the 
rest, owing to the remains of the flower stalks still 
being attached. Then the weakest growths may 
follow. You must leave enough of the strongest and 
healthiest growths to cover the space thinly, thus 
leaving room for the tying in of the young shoots as 
they become long enough. String is the best thing 
to tie the tender shoots to, as they take kindly to it 
and grow freely along it, which cannot be said of wire. 
Making Mushroom Spawn—You will find direc¬ 
tions for the making of Mushroom spawn on p. 222 
of the last issue of The Gardening World, Excolo. 
You will there see that it is a somewhat tedious 
operation. For the small quantities you require, it 
is certainly not worth your while to attempt to make 
your own spawn, it would be far cheaper for you to 
buy. 
Tomatos not setting.—It is always difficult to 
induce Tomatos to set during the winter months, 
P. D., lack of sunlight being the cause. You may 
try artificial pollination with the camel's hair brush. 
The night temperature should not fall below 58° 
Fahr., and if you can keep it up to 60’ so much the 
better. 
Tying Fruit Trees —Certainly, the plan of fitting 
the wall with wires is the better plan, Iff. Ashford. 
Nailing is all very well in its way, but it spoils the 
look of a wall to keep knocking nails into it for a few 
years. If you draw the nails agaiD, some of the 
mortar is sure to be loosened and subsequently falls 
out. In such a case, where appearances are studied, 
it is necessary to have the wall “ re-pointed " now 
and again. 
Cool Fernery.—A temperature of about 45® Fahr. 
by night during mild weather, and 2° or 3 0 lower 
than than that in frosty weather will do for your 
fernery for the winter, M., Hendon. A rise of 5 0 by 
day will be sufficient. The less fire heat you use 
the better. Such a house will suit Lapagerias to 
perfection, as the cool, moist surroundings are just 
to their likings. The Ferns moreover do well under 
their shade. 
