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THE GARDENING WORLD- May 22,1897. 
HINTS FOR WMATEURS. 
Show Pelargoniums. — The earliest plants are just 
commencing to open their flowers, and before loDg 
will be a mass of bloom. At such a lime the advan¬ 
tage of having a few old plants will be appreciated, 
for although these have a gnarled and rather ugly 
appearance between the time when they are cut 
down, and the time when the spurs are furnished 
with greenery, there is no word of complaint about 
them now. An old plant that has been well cared 
for, potted in good stuff, watered well, trained 
properly, and kept free from insect attacks will take 
the shine out of the smaller and younger ones. The 
individual flowers may not be quite so large, but 
there are more of them, and thus the plants as a 
whole are very effective objects in the conservatory. 
Staking is a most important part of the routine ; 
indeed, it is wonderful to see what a change may be 
wrought in the appearance of a plant by a little time 
judiciously spent in staking and tying. Now is the 
time to see about this, just when the first buds are 
opening and before the expanded flowers make 
special care necessary in order to avoid bruising 
them. It is not easy on paper to give full directions 
for staking the plants, a practical demonstration 
would be necessary, but there are a few hints that 
may be given, and these will be of some service. 
Whether it is possible to make a good job of the 
plants or no will depend upon the treatment 
previously dealt them. If they have been coddled, 
and given too much fire heat and too little light and 
air, they will have become drawn and sickly looking, 
and it is almost impossible to make these look well 
even by careful training. On the other hand, if the 
plants have healthy foliage of good substance, and 
the growths are firm and short-jointed, there should 
be little trouble. 
First of all, the stakes should be as thin and neat 
as is consistent with the required rigidity and 
strength. They must not be too long, but may 
reach to the base of the flower trusses. As the 
stems lengthen they will then be hidden, but they 
will give all the support required. The lower 
growths should be pulled down towards the rim of 
the pot, the others being distributed evenly over the 
area of the head, which should be a hemisphere. A 
well-trained plant will present such an outline and 
the flowers will stand a few inches above the foliage, 
and will likewise be equally distributed. It is only 
large, old plants that make plenty of breaks that can 
be made to form such large semi-circular heads. 
Watering — As there is no*a very great strain 
upon the plants which are, moreover, growing in 
small pots as compared to the quantity of roots they 
make, there is urgent necessity for a plentiful supply 
of water, Manurial stimulant must likewise be 
liberally given Many plants, as for instance 
Chrysanthemums, must not be fed after the flowers 
are about half open, because to do so would shorten 
their lives ; but there is a great deal of difference 
between these and Pelargoniums, which continue to 
produce flowers over a considerable period. Soot 
water, liquid cow manure, and guano suit the plants 
well, and by using first one and then the other, a 
change of diet is afforded the plants that they greatly 
like. 
Shading. —The sun of May, when it makes its 
appearance, is so bright that it materially shortens 
the lives of the flowers if allowed to reach them 
directly. Accordingly, pretty close shading is 
imperatively necessary, not only to preserve the 
flowers from falling, for as long as possible, but also 
to enable them to develop their brightest colours. 
Later Plants —These will also require to be 
shaded, but not nearly so heavily as those plants 
which are in flower. A cold frame, if it is of suffi¬ 
cient depth, is the best place for them. On a bottom 
of ashes in such a place they can be kept cool and 
moist, which conditions they enjoy. Give them 
plenty of room, and air pretty freely. The greatest 
pest is green fly, which makes # its appearance year 
by year with wonderful regularity, and increases at 
an alarming rate. Occasional fumigations or vapour- 
isings are the best methods of combating it. These 
should be followed up by especially heavy syring- 
ings. The latter are in addition to the morning and 
afternoon syringings that are given day by day. 
Small Ferns. —The number of uses to which 
small Ferns can be applied is legion. Within the 
dwelling rooms, both of cottages and the more pre¬ 
tentious villas, there are usually to be found orna¬ 
mental pots or other receptacles of more or less 
queerness of shape, which it is possible to fill with 
little Ferns when other plants would not be suitable. 
Various odd nooks may be beautified in a similar 
manner if only the requisite material is forthcoming. 
Now the raising of Ferns from spores is by no means 
a difficult operation, as those who have tried their 
hand at it have found. A few spores saved from a 
mature frond, say of Adiantum cuneatum or Pteris 
cretica, will give plenty of young plants. Indeed, it 
does not seem necessary to sow them, for in a house 
where pot Ferns are growing the sporelings come up 
all over the place, under the stages and trellises, in 
other pots, and wherever they can find a little soil 
and the necessary moisture. These may now be 
lifted and potted up. Use small “ thimble " pots and 
light peaty soil. After potting put the plants in a hand- 
light or other small frame placed inside the green¬ 
house. Keep this frame close and well shaded, and 
the little plants will soon pick up. After a while 
they will be strong enough to be brought out into the 
greenhouse, and the frame may then be removed or 
filled with another batch of plants. It is almost im¬ 
possible to have too many of such pretty little plants 
for the ladies of the household, who generally take 
more delight in Ferns than in any other class of 
foliage plants. 
Astilhe (Spiraea) Japonica.— The plants which 
have been grown in a cool house through the winter, 
and allowed to come on naturally have now seen 
their brightest days, and may be as well turned out. 
Perhaps their end has been hastened by neglect as to 
watering, for we often see plants in windows with 
the edges of the leaves touched in a way that 
tells unmistakably of the dry times that the poor 
plants have passed through. Bearing in mind what 
thirsty subjects these are it will be well to plant 
them out in the open ground straight away, and 
thus save some of the labour of watering. 
Aspidistras in Rooms. —During the winter 
months the only way in which the leaves of these 
could be washed was by sponging. Now that the 
warm weather has come, however, they should be 
taken out occasionally, daily if time can be found, 
laid upon the grass, and given a good syringing. 
Only clean soft water should be used. Dirty or 
chalky water leaves a deposit upon the leaves, which 
not only disfigures them, but stops up the breathing 
pores, and is thus very detrimental to the health of 
the plants. 
Narcissus Mrs. Walter Ware.—For culture either 
in pots or in the open there is no more beautiful 
section than the " white winged bicolor ” Trumpet 
Daffodils, and the form Mrs. Walter Ware is sur¬ 
passed by none of its relatives. The only 
drawback to its extensive cultivation is the price, 
for this is prohibitive to all save those who 
have the proverbial long stocking to draw from. 
The trumpet is large, expanded at the rim, and of a 
golden hue, whilst the perianth segments are broad, 
massive, and pure white. Messrs. Barr & Sons do 
it well, as, indeed, they do all other Daffodils. 
UYularia grandiflora.—The Uvularias or Bell- 
worts are not commonly met with. The genus 
includes four or five species, all of which are of 
North American origin. U. grandiflora is perhaps 
the best of them all and may well be given a place in 
a nook in the rockery where the soil is light and 
sandy, and a partial shade is obtainable. The plant 
is about a foot [in height, and to a certain extent 
resembles Solomon’s Seal in general appearance. 
The flowers are long, drooping, and pale yellow in 
colour. 
Asperula odorata. —This is a common British 
weed in that it grows wild in many parts of the 
country. According to Bentham, in his "Handbook 
of the British Flora,'’ "it is found in woods and 
shady places throughout Europe and Russian Asia, 
except the extreme north ; abundant in Britain." 
Popularly this is known as the Sweet Woodruff, and 
surely if ever a plant deserved the name of sweet it 
is this. The perfume does not become apparent 
while the plant is in a green state, but only after it 
has been dried. Then the odour is very strong, 
closely resembling that of new mown hay. This 
scent is credited with the power of keeping moths, 
etc. at bay, and housewives in some districts have 
great faith in its virtue in this direction. Although 
a wilding, the plant is well worth cultivating, for 
when grown in masses in shady parts of the rock 
garden it looks very pretty. For planting amongst 
hardy ferns nothing could be more suitable. The 
white flowers borne on the stiff erect stems above 
the whorls of stiff looking leaves are decidedly quaint. 
—Rex. 
•f - 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subjeft 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. 
Mildew on Roses. —The Roses are bad’y affected 
with mildew, S. Ennevton. In this case the vegetative 
part of the fungus, or mycelium as it is technically 
called, is chiefly on the outer portion of the leaf, 
although minute strands of the mycelium penetrate 
through the epidermis or skin of the leaf and feed 
upon the tissues beneath. There are several 
remedies. The best is to mix half an ounce of 
sulphide of potassium in a gallon of water and spray 
the foliage with it. This will kill the fungus and will 
not do any more harm to the plants than clear water. 
In cases where only a spot or two of mildew is 
observed a timely dusting with flowers of sulphur 
will prevent it spreading farther. 
Strawberries.— Amateur : Pot Strawberries which 
have been forced this year may be induced to fruit 
again in the autumn. Make up a bed of soil in a 
frame, knock the plants out of their pots and plant 
them about a foot apart each way, and keep them 
well syringed and watered throughout the summer. 
They will flower and fruit again in the autumn, and 
the lights may then be put on to shelter them. You 
may also put the plants out in an open border if you 
wish, and cover them with handlights in the autumn 
if they should require it. 
With regard to the second question, it is usually 
quite early enough to layer the runners after the 
fruit has been plucked from the plants. We are 
aware that some growers advocate pegging down the 
runners from a special plantation where the plants 
are not allowed to fruit. This is done when very 
early forcing is needed. We have always found, 
however, that the layers made good enough plants if 
pegged down after the fruit has been gathered. The 
great point is to select strong layers and discard the 
weaker ones ; then the rest is easy. 
Roseleavcs Falling.— Q : There is very little 
doubt that it is the fumigation that has caused the 
Rcse leaves to fall. You gave too strong a dose, or 
let the house become charged with sulphurous fumes 
by letting the tobacco paper flare. Try Richards 
X L-All Vaporiser ; it is safe, and effective as far as 
the fly is concerned. 
Jobbing Gardener. — A. A. P. : We do not know 
what the rate of wages are in your district, and, 
moreover, there is a great deal of difference between 
men. Some jobbing gardeners, or those who call 
themselves so, would be dear at any price, but for a 
fairly good workman who can tidy up your garden 
and put things straight all round from 4s. to 5s. per 
day would not be too much. 
Planting Apples. —Please say is there any use in 
digging a hole 3 ft. wide and 3 ft deep, and in 
putting in 6 in. of drainage for Apple trees ; or would 
a drain do without an outfall ? — Subscriber. 
If the soil is very heavy, i.e., a stiff clay, it would 
be better to plant on the surface, spreading out the 
roots of the tree and covering them with good loam, 
thus giving them the appearance of having been 
planted on mounds. If the soil is hard and poor, 
but not so heavy, the holes may be dug as you 
suggest, but a width of 3 ft. is too little ; this should 
therefore be increased to 4 or 5 ft. Loosen the sides 
and bottom of the hole before putting in the 
drainage. The water can then soak away, and an 
“ outfall 11 will not be necessary. The danger of 
digging holes where the soil is very stiff is that they 
form basins which hold the water, and this means 
death to the trees ; but if you follow the advice here 
given such a contingency need not be feared. 
Tree Carnations. —You are rather late with your 
cuttings, Q, but you may grow them on for next year. 
Pot them up now singly into small 60-sized pots, 
using equal parts of loam and leaf soil with sand. 
