312 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 16, 1897 
fiNTS for Amateurs. 
SEASONABLE FLOWERS. 
Unless we are favoured with a protracted spell of 
frosty weather our outside gardens are not long 
entirely destitute of flowers, for horticulture has 
given us what Nature has denied, and our gardens 
contain all sorts of beautiful strangers, whose only 
essential qualifications have to be their ability to 
withstand the rigours and caprices of our climate. 
Up to the present the winter of 1896-7 has been 
remarkable for its great mildness, and the result of 
this is apparent when we hear of Primroses, Violas, 
Lilacs, and gold-laced Polyanthuses bursting into 
bloom in various parts of the country. The 
ubiquitous Daisy is striving, and with considerable 
success, to assert itself, and its starry flowers have 
made their appearance in some places. The wild 
Broom and the Gorse are a'so in flower, and several 
of the passengers alighting from a train at one of our 
London termini last week might have been seen 
carrying bunches of the bright yellow blooms of the 
former. All these, however, are casuals, and their 
precocity is due to the abnormality of the season. 
Hence, they cannot in any way be described as being 
seasonable. 
There are several subjects, on the other hand, 
that may fairly be described as seasonable, inasmuch 
that they make their appearance about this time of 
the year unless the weather is exceedingly severe. 
Several of these are not only possessed of a consider¬ 
able share of beauty, but they are also easy enough 
to grow, and hence may be taken up by amateurs 
with every hope of success. 
Christmas Roses. —The popular name of Rose, 
like that of Lily, is very indefinite in its meaning, 
and the looseness with which it is applied is as great 
as its indefiniteness. Now the Christmas Rose and 
the “ Rose of Summer ” are very widely separated, 
and serve admirably to show upon what diverse 
types of plant life the popular name of Rose is 
bestowed. 
Helleborus niger and its varieties are the special 
Christmas Roses. The species commences to bloom 
in a favourable season just before the winter festival, 
and keeps up a display with its varieties until the 
so-called Lenten Roses come in. Several species of 
the genus Hellebore are grouped under the latter 
title, and carry on the credit of their kind until the 
spring has well advanced. These, however, are 
taller in habit and of much more bushy growth. 
We thus see that the genus Hellebore covers a con¬ 
siderable period of time, and its members are on the 
whole exceedingly useful. 
In order to prevent the flowers of H niger from 
beiDg splashed and disfigured with mud, washed up 
by heavy rains, it is necessary to cover the plants 
with handlights. Where this has not been done the 
heavy rains which marked the close of December 
and the beginning of January have entirely spoiled 
the flowers. The lights should be taken off as soon 
as possible, for the plant does not like being coddled. 
The undermentioned are varieties of H. niger that 
are well worthy a place in the garden :—H. n. 
maximus, or H. n. altifolius as it is sometimes 
called, has very large white flowers, slightly 
tinted with rose, but pure white if opened under 
glass, and measuring sometimes 4 in. or 5 in. in 
diameter. The leaves are very large and dark green. 
It flowers in favourable seasons from the end of 
October or the beginning of November until January. 
H. n. augustifolius has smaller leaves and flowers 
than the type, but commences to bloom earlier. 
The flowers are white tinted externally with rose. 
This variety is sometimes met with under the name 
of H. n. minor. H. n. caucasicus has fragrant white 
flowers suffused with rose, and is well worth a trial. 
Hellebores will succeed in almost any ordinary 
garden soil. The position should be sheltered and 
the soil well drained. Planted in snug nooks in thin 
shrubberies they do very well, and we have seen 
them do well when growing in a semi-naturalised 
state upon grassy banks facing the north or east. 
Shady corners in the rockery may also be utilised 
for them with advantage. 
Topdressing. —After the plants have finished 
flowering a good topdressing should be given. Not 
only is the nutriment thus conveyed to them of great 
value, but the roots are kept cool and moist and the 
evil effects of drought are obviated. If the season is 
very dry an occasional soaking of water will be very 
beneficial. 
Propagation is easily conducted by division of 
the roots soon after flowering. The divisions should 
be laid in shallow boxes, covered with rich soil, and 
given the shelter of a cold frame, afterwards planting 
them out in the positions that are to be assigned to 
them. Only the healthiest and most vigorous roots 
should be subjected to the division, or the stock will 
be weakly and will require some time before they 
get to be really useful stuff. 
Plants for Forcing.—Although Christmas Roses 
may be grown under glass, and thus induced to 
flower earlier than their relatives outside, they must 
not be subjected to hard forcing or the flowers will 
be poor and the plants will be almost ruined by the 
experience. When lifting roots in the autumn for 
growing under glass there is sure to be some check 
given. In order to avoid this when dividing up the 
old plants some of the divisions may be potted up 
and grown on in pots instead of planting them out¬ 
side. 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
After they have been cut down the old plants are 
anything but ornamental in appearance, and hence 
they may be removed to a cold frame out of the way. 
Here they will throw up their cuttings almost as well 
as they would in the greenhouse, and as long as the 
weather keeps mild and open they can be got at 
easily enough. The pots may be stood quite close 
together. Air should be given whenever the weather 
is mild, as coddling will only produce weakly cut¬ 
tings that are thus handicapped at the start of their 
existence. Any varieties that are shy of producing 
good cuttings in sufficient quantity may be left in the 
greenhouse. 
Weeding out varieties.—At this season of the 
year it behoves the cultivator to take stock of his 
collection of 'Mums. Space is a matter of vital 
moment to most people, but more especially to the 
amateur, who, by virtue of his straitened circum¬ 
stances, is pinned down to the cultivation of only a 
few varieties. Now a good plant takes no more 
room to grow than an inferior one, and will yield 
infinitely better and more satisfactory results. Year 
by year sees scores of additions to a list of Chrysan¬ 
themums that is already of colossal proportions, and 
as it is manifest that no one can grow anything like 
the half of them, a good deal of discretion must be 
exercised to see that no matter how small the col¬ 
lection it shall at least contain some of the leiding 
varieties. The above remarks are naturally intended 
for those who purpose coming out as exhibitors next 
year. Others of our readers who are not drawn 
into the vortex of exhibition will grow just what 
they fancy most, whilst the exhibitor has practically 
no voice in the matter. If he is to be successful he 
must grow sorts that have the best show record. 
To discard old varieties is always a most difficult 
task ; indeed, to those who love their plants it seems 
like cutting old friends. It must be done, however, 
for no man can grow two good plants where there is 
only room for one. It will be advisable to make a 
list of varieties to be grown, as this will enable the 
cultivator to make his collection as representative as 
possible, and to avoid having several varieties of the 
same colour, or that approach each other very 
closely in other respects. If only half a dozen 
varieties can be grown it would be out of proportion 
to have three whites, even although they should 
each be first quality, unless, of course, it is intended 
to compete in a class for white varieties only. The 
same principles must be applied all round.— Rex. 
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. 
Aralia Yeitchii.—Both Aralia reticulata and A. 
• 
Guilfoylei may be used for grafting A. Yeitchii upon, 
Q. The former is the one generally used. We have 
never heard of a single authentic case in which a 
cutting of A. Veitchii has been successfully rooted. 
Begonia Seed.—I saved some seed of the 
tuberous Begonias last year. When shall I sow it, 
and under what conditions shall I place the seed 
pans? Will they do in a greenhouse ?— 5 . Hendon. 
Some of the big Begonia growers have already 
sown their seed, but you need not be in such a hurry 
as that unless you specially wish to get a good show 
of bloom this year from the seedlings. The first or 
second week in February should do for you well 
enough. Sow the seed thinly, and cover it only 
slightly. Place a sheet of glass over the seed pans, 
as this prevents rapid evaporation of water from the 
soil, and dees away with the need for much watering. 
The greenhouse will not be sufficiently warm to 
insure speedy germination. A temperature of at 
least 6o Q Fahr. by night will be required. 
Azalea amoena is the plant to which you refer, 
T. T. It is easily grown, and flowers freely each 
year. The bright rosy-purple blooms, though small, 
are very effective in the mass, and the plant is most 
useful for early blooming, and is naturally of neat 
and compact habit. It is a native of China. 
Ferns in Greenhouse .—Beta wishes to know if 
Ferns would grow under the plant stages in his 
greenhouse ? He says a fair amount of light comes 
through the gratings. 
Ferns may be grown under the stage near to the 
edge of the path, certainly, but they would not do 
well further underneath, and it would be very little 
use planting them there. A ridge of stones and 
clinkers should be formed, and placed so as to form 
pockets which may be filled up with good soil. It is 
useless to expect the majority of Ferns to grow on 
stone without any soil. The latter should consist of 
equal parts of peat and loam with sand. 
Moss on Apple Trees. —Please tell me how to get 
rid of moss from Apple trees. —Scottie. 
Moss on old Apple trees is usually a sign of 
decrepitude. On younger ones it is pretty sure 
evidence that the ground is in a bad condition, either 
from poverty, bad drainage, or both. In such a case 
the cause should first be dealt with. Various 
methods of removing the moss are practised. A 
careful scraping of the trunk and larger branches is 
given, and a scrubbing follows. The washing solu¬ 
tion may be made of^ lb. of common salt or washing 
soda in a gallon of water with or without a little soft 
soap. A wineglassful of petroleum mixed with one 
gallon of warm water is also recommended, but this 
latter solution needs to be carefully used. 
Cocoanut fibre refuse.—This may be used for 
mixing with the potting soil used for small Ferns or 
other plants that will not be long in the same pots, 
F. 0 B., but it must not be used for plants that have 
to stay for six months in the same pots. 
Lapagerias.—I have a small glasshouse with a 
northern aspect, in which I propose to grow Lapa¬ 
gerias. How shall I make the bed or border, and 
what soil shall I give ?— W. Bacon. 
The plants do not require a great deal of root-run. 
We have seen them grown very successfully in 
borders not more than a foot in depth. Drain the 
border well, and make it so that there is from a foot 
to fifteen inches of soil. The soil should consist of 
peat with plenty of sand, and a few handfuls of 
charcoal. You may proceed with the construction 
of your border at once, so as to get the plants in at 
the earliest possible date. 
Lygodium japonicum will do in a greenhouse very 
well, Peter N. It may be grown in pots, and 
trained over a balloon-shape, but such a position 
does not show off the natural beauty and graceful¬ 
ness of the plant. The better way is to train it to 
wires or string, when it produces a singularly fine 
effect. 
Diseased Pelargoniums .—George Crabbe sends us 
samples of leaves of Zonal Pelargoniums spotted 
with white. He says, “ I have had the plants for 
several years and the disease appears every winter. 
They grow through it in the spring only to appear 
again the next winter. They are well drained, and 
growing in soil composed of two parts loam, with 
leaf-mould, sand, and a little mortar rubbish. They 
stand with about ninety others in my greenhouse, 
and none of them get it. Can you tell me of a cure ? 
We have carefully examined under the micro¬ 
scope the leaves sent, and find that the spots or 
blotches indicate areas in which there is no chloro¬ 
phyll or green colouring matter. We see no traces 
of any fungus, and do not think these spots are 
attributable to insect attacks. Want of light is 
