456 
March 20, 189V. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Hints for Amateurs. 
Daphne Mezereum.—As this lovely little shrub has 
been flowering profusely for some time past, it may 
not be inappropriate to say yet another word as to 
its great value as a hardy early flowering plant that 
will grow in any ordinary garden soil. As such, it 
should be taken up by all amateurs who are on the 
lookout for something hardy, and yet handsome. 
Having regard to the countries over which it is 
naturally distributed, it is not surprising that it 
stands our coldest winters with impunity and without 
protection. Bentham, in his “ Illustrated Handbook 
of the British Flora," says that it is found “ in woods, 
chiefly in hilly districts, spread over nearly the 
whole of Europe and Russian Asia to the Arctic 
regk ns ; in Britain, however, believed to be truly 
wild only in some of the south-western counties of 
England." 
Apart from its doubtful nativity of our isle, there 
is no doubt that it has been cultivated to some 
degreed for a considerable time, since Parkinson 
speaks of it as the Flowering Spurge, and Gerard 
calls it the Dwarf Bay. Like many another old- 
fashicned plant, many names have been bestowed 
upon it from time to time by various cultivators 
who have fallen in love with it. In our own day it 
is popularly spoken of as the Mezereon, or Mezereon 
Daphne, the latter name exhibiting little change 
from the botanic appellation, except in the trans¬ 
position of terms. Besides the appellations already 
mentioned, the names Spurge Olive, and Spurge 
Flax have likewise been applied to it, and several 
others common upon the continent could also be 
cited if occasion required. 
Lou Ion also states in the "Trees and Shrubs of 
Great Britain " that " the whole shrub is poisonous to 
human beings,though the berries are favourite food for 
finches and other birds, more especially the robin." 
Certain it is that an acrid and poisonous principle is 
lodged in the bark, which is turned to good account 
medicinally. To this end, quantities of the bark are 
annually imported from Germany. 
There are several ways of utilising the beauties of 
the plant. Isolated specimens in corners of the rock 
garden, for instance, look remarkably well; or they 
may be dotted here and there in the mixed shrubbery, 
where they help to enliven things in the early spring. 
Forihe same reason they do not come amiss in the 
mixed border, and we have, at various times, seen 
excellent specimens that have been grown in such a 
position. Bearing in mind the fact, however, that 
masses of one subject produce a much finer effect 
that small isolated specimens dotted here and there, 
readers will be prepared to admit that a bed filled 
with plants will be a most desirable feature in any 
garden. Such a bed may be so arranged by allowing 
plenty of room between the Daphnes, that when the 
latter are out of flower, something else may be 
introduced to fill up the gap and take up the burden 
when the Daphnes lay it down. 
A very happy thought in this direction struck an 
amateur last year, for he had picked out Violas as the 
most suitable plant to associate with the little shrubs, 
and the effect was really excellent, for the bed was 
really a mass of bloom from the middle of February 
until the frost came. 
Varieties.—There are several varieties of the type 
that, with the latter, are well worth growing.. Of 
these the white form is probably the most popular. 
It is fully as free a bloomer as the species, and the 
flowers are fully as large, and pure white. In D. 
Mezereum, moreover, the berries are red, but in the 
white variety they are yellow. D. M. autumnale is 
a very early blooming form that, weather permitting, 
commences to bloom in November. Naturally its 
great earliness is a point in its favour, although one 
that dees not always produce satisfactory results, 
since a mild autumn will coax it into bloom, only for 
a spell of winter to move the closure. In mild 
winters such as the past has been, in the south, at 
all events, the pink blossoms have been in evidence 
right from November. 
Pot culture does not seem to have " caught on ” 
to any extent, although as a conservatory plant there 
can be no two opinions as to its utility. The great 
thing is to avoid subjecting it to too much heat. It 
must not be forced in any way or the buds will fall. 
All it needs is to be sheltered from severe weather 
and the buds allowed to swell gradually. 
In shifting or potting up the plants, October will 
be found to be the best month. It will not be wise 
to defer it for any later in the season, as growth 
starts soon after. 
Veronica cupressoides. —In choosing plants to 
fill window boxes, the value of this pretty but rarely 
met with plant should not be lost sight of. It is very 
hardy, and grows freely in almost any position, but 
still maintains a very dwarf and compact habit. As 
the specific name denotes, it is very much like a 
Cupressus in growth ; indeed, at first sight, were it 
not for the flowers, it looks exactly like a miniature 
Cypress. The flowers are violet in colour, borne in 
small racemes of from three to four flowers each, at 
the ends of the branches. This plant is sometimes 
met with under the name of V. salicornoides. It is 
a native of New Zealand. 
Winter-flowering Pelargoniums. —It is not too 
late yet to put in cuttings to furnish plants for winter¬ 
flowering. These later cuttings will come in as a 
very good succession to the earlier ones put in about 
the middle of February. Four or five cuttings may 
be put in a 6o-sized pot, which must be prepared by 
pressing the soil in it very firmly in order that the 
cuttings may be secure. Pots in which the soil is 
loose are a nuisance, as a very little touch pulls out 
the cutting. A gentle heat is necessary to insure a 
quick and a good strike. 
Rooted Cuttings should be potted off singly into 
large 6o’s without delay. For soil a mixture of equal 
parts of loam and leaf soil with sand will do. A 
heavier and more substantial compost will be requisite 
presently. All the flowers and flower buds must be 
kept picked off, but any stopping that is necessary 
may be left for a while until the plants get over the 
check of shifting. 
Tuberous Begonias for Bedding —These have 
now been resting quite long enough, and should 
therefore be started into growth at once. For the 
first stage shallow boxes are the most handy recep¬ 
tacles, and any light soil will do. First of all put in 
a layer of rough material in the bottom of the box, 
and then a little finer soil upon which the tubers 
may be laid. As it will be necessary to give them 
another shift between the starting stage and the 
point at which they are ready for bedding out, they 
may now be laid pretty closely together, and covered, 
not too deeply, with soil. Place the boxes with the 
tubers on a shelf in a warm greenhouse. Sprinkle 
them lightly with tepid water twice a day, and they 
will not be long in making a start. 
Ventilation. —Throughout the present month it is 
often a matter of great difficulty to keep the condi¬ 
tions of heat in the greenhouse anything like steady 
from day to day. The fluctuations of the weather 
are great. Perhaps one day the weather will be 
bright and warm, and within twenty-four hours it 
may be quite wintry. In bright weather when the 
air is soft and warm, there is very little trouble in 
managing the house. Air may then be freely 
admitted without any fear. Even in this case the 
lights should not be opened to their fullest extent at 
once. As soon as the temperature of the house 
begins to rise, a little air must be put on, and this 
may be increased at intervals as the heat of the sun 
becomes greater. It is on bright days when the wind 
is keen and cold that the great difficulty has to be 
met. It is then impossible to ventilate much with¬ 
out subjecting the plants to draughts. The venti¬ 
lators on the sunny side of the house only should be 
opened, and it will be advisable to allow the house 
to get rather warmer than usual rather than run the 
risk of letting too much of the cold air in. 
--f-- 
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. 
Hardy Adiaotum. —Will you tell me if there is a 
Maidenhair Fern that is hardy and will grow in the 
open ground without protection ? I am told there is, 
but have never seen it. — O K. 
The British Maidenhair, Adiantum Capillus- 
Veneris, is found in sheltered spots in the south¬ 
western counties of England, and in south Wales, 
but it is not really hardy away from these places, 
since it requires protection to enable it to pass 
through the winter. The only truly hardy Adiantum 
is A. pedatum, a North American species, also found 
in Northern Hindostan. It may be planted in nooks 
in the rockery, where it will come up each spring 
regularly, dying down in autumn. 
Roses and Peaches.—It is quite possible to grow 
both Roses and Peaches in one house, L L.R., and 
to grow them well too. Of course there are dis¬ 
advantages to be got over. Thus Roses are very 
liable to be attacked with mildew, which will then be 
almost sure to spread to the Peaches; but by 
studiously avoiding draughts, and taking care that 
the soil is not allowed to become sodden, this diffi¬ 
culty may be surmounted. If the house is a lean-to, 
the best method of dividing the space up between 
the two subjects is to devote the back wall to the 
Roses, and to plant the Peaches along the front. 
The latter may be trained up under the roof in the 
usual way, but should only be allowed to occupy 
three fourths of the roof. Thus if the roof is 12 ft. 
wide a margin of at least 3 ft. must be allowed next 
to the wall to admit light to the Roses. In a mixed 
house of this kind from which frost is just excluded 
during the winter months the Roses would be in 
bloom in April. 
Sweet Peas.— J. Arden : Sow at once, or they will 
be too late. They would have been better had they 
been in three weeks ago. 
A home-made Weed-killer.—Is there anything 
that I can use in small quantities to kill weeds ? I 
cannot get the weed killers as advertised in the small 
doses that I require.— C. Jones. 
An ounce of carbolic acid dissolved in a gallon of 
water will kill your weeds fast enough. Take care 
when applying it to keep it off grass or box edges, or 
there will be a wholesale killing. You can get the 
drug cheaply at any drug stores. The commoner 
brands will do, those used for medicinal purposes 
being rather expensive. Warm water is the best to 
mix the acid with. 
Narcissus minimus. —Do not attempt to lift the 
bulbs, Enquirer, until the foliage has died down. You 
may water the plants if the soil appears to be dry. 
On Watering Carnation in Winter —At a meet¬ 
ing of a Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society 
the other night a paper on "Carnations" was 
read and discussed, the question was asked by an 
amateur Carnation grower whether the lecturer 
would recommend to syringe the pot Carnations over¬ 
head at this time of year. Whether this was asked 
to draw out the lecturer or seek information, I know 
not. I don't think any grower will quarrel with me 
if I express my belief that more Carnations are lost 
through the dull months by overwateriDg and damp¬ 
ness than by any other cause. I grow several hun¬ 
dreds of all sections, and many are not watered 
twice throughout the winter from November to Feb¬ 
ruary, especially those in frames. They may with 
perfect safety be allowed to become dust dry. If the 
foliage feels limp and flabby, then and only then 
should they be soaked. I winter some in houses and 
some in frames, and of course, those in houses 
required more attention than those in ihe frames ; 
but to keep Carnations healthy keep them at this 
period as dry as possible with safety. If I thought 
it advisable to water my frame plants I should 
choose a fine sunny day, and well water them in the 
morning. Be sure that the ball is soaked, but keep the 
foilage—as Cromwell did his powder—dry.— A. P. 
Disbudding Vines. —You may remove a few of the 
small weak shoots at the base of the spurs, which 
will not be wanted, T. Cartwright, but it would be a 
dangerous proceeding to leave only one shoot to a 
spur at this early stage. No matter how careful in 
tying-down you may be, you will be more fortunate 
than most if a mishap or two does not occur. If you 
disbud now to the fullest extent, any breakages pre¬ 
sently mean so many blind spurs. You cannot 
exercise too much caution in this respect. One 
shoot to a spur, if the spurs are fairly close to each 
other is usually enough to fill the space, but where 
the spurs are far apart it is not so, and two shoots 
have to be trained in. In this respect you must 
exercise your own discretion. 
Border Carnations.—I have carefully noted the 
remarks made by A. P. in last week's issue, but my 
layers with one or two exceptions were fairly well 
