792 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
August 14, 1897. 
||ints for ||mateurs. 
Budding Roses. —Iq a previous issue the operation 
of budding was referred to with a promise that it 
should be further discussed in a subsequent issue. 
The operation is, of course, a ridiculously easy one— 
to those who know how to do it. Everyone does not 
possess this knowledge, however, and it is in the hope 
of awakening the interest of these and inducing them 
to attempt the experiment that these notes are 
penned. The first thing to do in budding standard 
or half standard briers is to select good briers with 
one or two good stout growths. The next thing is to 
obtain a supply of good buds. To get good buds is 
half the battle, since the operator, who is careless in 
this respect, has heavily discounted his chances of 
success. The shoots of the current year from which 
blooms have been obtained usually furnish the best 
buds to work with as the wood is sufficiently 
matured. Green, immature growths will not furnish 
good buds. 
The only tools that are necessary are a good sharp 
knife with a smooth wedge-shaped handle, of some 
make of the kind known as budding knives, and a 
supply of raffia for tying purposes. A water-can 
about half full of water should also be kept near the 
operator, for as each shoot furnishes a number of 
buds, and will thus be a considerable time in use, it 
will be well to keep the shoots bearing the buds in 
water, otherwise their vitality will be very much 
impaired. 
Preparation of the Bud.—It is in this part of the 
programme that the greatest care and skill is needed. 
The tender bark tears and bruises easily, which, of 
course, greatly jeopardises the chance of success. In 
selecting the buds choose those that are plump, full, 
and firm, but which are quite dormant. Once the 
bud is selected the next thing to do is to remove it 
from the branch bearing it with part of the bark 
attached Each bud is borne in the axil of a leaf, 
that is, in the angle formed by the junction of the 
stalk of the leaf with the branch. The guarding leaf 
must first be removed, or more correctly, part of it, 
for about § in. of the stalk (petiole) must be left both 
to act as a shield to the little bud to prevent it from 
being inadvertently knocked off and to serve as a 
handle, by which the bud may be the more easily 
inserted in the place prepared for it. 
In cutting the bud away, the knife should be 
started about ^ in. above it, the blade of the knife 
passed in nearly to the middle of the branch and then 
turned downwards, passing underneath the bud and 
coming out again about i in. below it. A piece of 
wood is thus taken away with the bark and the bud. 
The first-named may easily be pulled away by the 
fingers, and after a little trimming the bud is ready 
for insertion. 
The incisions on the Brier are easily and quickly 
made. Catch hold of the branch of the stock firmly 
and upon its upper side near to its junction with the 
main stem, make a longitudinal cut about i in. in 
length. Then make another at the end of this to 
cross it at right angles and continue it about half-way 
round the stem. The two cuts together thus form a 
T, the foot of which is quite close to the junction of 
the branch of the brier and its main stem. Reversing 
the knife, the handle shouldjnow be used to lift up the 
bark from the wood, thus leaving plenty of room to 
slide the prepared bud in. When properly inserted 
the latter should face the same way on the stock as it 
did on its parent stem, and the edges of the bark of 
the brier should overlap that of the bud on both 
sides. 
Tying in. — This is an operation that calls for no 
great amount of skill, but it is often badly done, 
because people will persist in tying the poor buds in 
too tightly, and thus strangling them. All that is 
wanted is to keep the lips of the wound in place, 
when nature will do the rest. Commence therefore 
at the base of the longitudinal incision and work 
upwards, binding with moderate firmness, and 
leaving the point of the bud peeping out from its 
swaddling clothes. On coming to the transverse cut, 
any part of the bark of the bud that protrudes 
beyond this point may be cut off and the binding 
carried on past the cut, where it may finish. 
If these points are deftly and quickly carried out, 
clean cuts made, good buds chosen, and neatly cut 
out, and the tying properly executed, the percentage 
of losses should be small. We do not advise 
shortening of the shoots of the briar in any way fjr 
the present. This can better be done in the 
autumn. 
Layering Carnations —Nurserymen and Carna¬ 
tion specialists who are in the expectation of heavy 
orders for Carnations, and who have to get these 
orders despatched early to their destination, have to 
start layering their Carnations early in the season, 
almost before the blooms are off the plants, in order 
to give the layers time to root so that they may be 
lifted and ready for distribution betimes. With the 
amateur grower who has only his own wants to 
think about and his own requirements to cater for, 
such haste is not necessary. It is getting rather late 
in the season now for layering it is true, and no more 
precious time should be lost ; but it is not yet too 
late. The layers, if fairly healthy and strong, will 
be rooted by the autumn, and will be ready to lift 
before very severe frost is to be expected. 
Now although the layering of Carnations is such a 
very easy and simple job, it is not every amateur who 
cares to undertake it. We are acquainted with two 
or three at least who feel constrained to call in the 
services of a neighbouring gardener to do that which 
they might easily perform themselves. 
A few brief hints may be of value to those who 
would like to do the layering themselves, but who 
distrust their powers to accomplish it. First of all 
the old plants should be gone over and the old 
flowering stems cut clean away. Many of the weak 
spindly growths, including a'l those that spring high 
up the flowering stem, may follow. These would be 
of no use for layering, for their height above the 
ground renders it extremely difficult to get them 
down anywhere near the soil without breaking them. 
Some light sandy soil, such as that which has 
been previously used for growing pot plants, should 
next be obtained, and passed through a sieve to clear 
it of all stones and sticks. A layer of this about 
i in. in depth maybe spread around each plant for a 
radius of about i ft. This distance will take in all 
the layers, which are rarely longer. 
The next thing is the pegs. These usually may be 
easily cut from old Pea sticks, birchbrooms, or a 
neighbouring hedge. They should be about 4 in. in 
length, and be furnished with a good stout hook. 
The new wire layering pins are very handy and 
excellent articles, and as they can be used many times 
over a r e not at all dear. They can be purchased 
from any vendor of horticultural sundries in large or 
small quantities. If there is any difficulty whatever 
in obtaining good wooden pegs in sufficient quantities 
we should advise the Carnation grower to invest in a 
few of these specially made pegs. 
The most important tool, however, is the knife. It 
should be thin bladed, and capable of taking a keen 
edge. As a rule, budding knives are all good for the 
purpose. 
Now as to the act of layering proper. Catch hold 
of the shcot in the left hand, lifting it up and inwards 
towards the central axis of the plant. Commence on 
the under side of the shoot about 1 in. below the 
lower leaves, acd immediately below a joint (node) 
and make an incision. Pass the blade of the knife 
into the centre of the stem and turn it upwards 
making a longitudinal cut. Carry this through the 
node and upwards for about 1 in. in length. A 
tongue is thus formed. The shoot may now be 
pressed downward and the tongue pushed into the 
soil that has previously been placed round the pbnt. 
It is of importance to keep this tongue open, for if it 
closes the wound will heal and roots will not be 
made. The tongue once pushed in the ground the 
layer may be kept in place by one of the pegs 
referred to, so placed that it presses upon the point 
where the wound was made. 
All that is necessary now is to see that the layers 
are kept supplied with water. A hot and dry 
August is very trying to the layers, and frequent 
soakings with clear water will be of service. 
If stout healthy layers are chosen, the cuts made 
clean, the tongues prevented from closing, and 
pegging down firmly done, there should be very few 
losses indeed ; and a good measure of success should 
even repay the veriest tyro at his first attempt, alter 
which stimulus he may go on to do better things.— 
Rex. 
-- 
Peas and Oil-seeds are reaped in the month of 
April in Bengal ; early Rice in September ; and the 
great Rice crop in December. Thus there are three 
harvests during the season. 
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. 
Adiantum farleyense.—I had a plant of this hand¬ 
some fern given me about six weeks ago. It has 
been in my greenhouse amongst a mixed collection of 
plants, but has not done at all well. Please tell me 
what I can do with it, as I should be sorry to lose it 
now.— M ., Hendon. 
Adiantum farleyense is really a stove fern, and we 
are not at all surprised that it should fail to do in an 
ordinary cool greenhouse. We question very much 
if you will be able to do anything with it unless you 
can contrive to give it more heat. If you can rig up & 
small close frame near to the pipes you might manage 
to do something with it, otherwise you must make 
up your mind to lose it when winter comes if not 
before. 
Planting Narcissi in Grass. — J. Flectlier : You 
will find it easiest to plant your bulbs by making 
holes in the grass with the crowbar, dropping in a 
little sandy soil or road scrapings, then placing the 
bulb on the top of this and filling up with other soil. 
This is a quicker plan than cutting pieces out of the 
turf, planting .the bulbs and replacing the turf, and 
besides, it does not cut the grass about so much. 
Plantains on Grass.— T. R. is grumbling about the 
number of Plantains in his lawn, and wonders 
wherever they all come from. Naturally he wants 
to know how to get rid of them, and is in search of 
the easiest way to effect this desirable end. 
Go over the lawn and cut off the crown of the 
Plantain below the level of the grass and lay a pinch 
of salt upon the cut crown or root that is left in the 
soil. If no rain comes to wash the salt away it may 
be reckoned that the salted root is killed entirely, 
but if rain comes shortly after, another application 
will be necessary. By perseverance, and a little 
backache the lawn may be cleared entirely of the 
weeds. 
Violas.— I have kept my Violas watered pretty 
freely all through the hot weather, and they have 
made plenty of growth. May I give them liquid 
manure, and must I thin the growths as I have seen 
recommended ?— T. Browning. 
If the plants get too thick and crowded you may 
thin the growths with advantage certainly. This 
will give room for the younger shoots. Liquid 
manure will increase the size of the flowers and is to 
be recommended. 
Wild Convolvulus. — James F. : The Bindweed is 
Convolvulus sepium, a very troublesome weed in 
many gardens. It is not at all paiticular wbat it 
climbs round, and if it were not such a nuisance one 
could admire the large snowy-white flowers. You 
may check its growth now by pulling away its 
trailing, twisting s'ems whenever you see them. The 
work of destruction must be completed in the late 
autumn or winter. Fork the ground well over and 
get out of it every particle of the white roots that 
you can find so you shall be free of it another year. 
Potting up Balsams. —Our local flower show is to 
be held in the first week in September, when a prize 
is offered for Balsams in pots. I have some good 
plants growing in the garden now, and should like to 
lift some of them and pot them up if they would 
stand it. Please tell me what to do.— Cottager. 
The Balsams will lift easily enough if you are 
careful to leave plenty of soil round the roots. Pots 
8 ins. in diameter will be large enough, and ordinary 
garden soil may be used for potting if you like. Put 
a few crocks in the bottom of the pot for drainage 
purposes. If you can stand the plants after potting 
in some shady place so much the better. There 
they should stay for about a week, during which 
they should be sprinkled daily. If you follow these 
instructions the plants should take no hurt. 
Lifting China Asters —Please tell me if China 
Asters can be lifted from the open ground to flosver 
in the window. — Cottager. 
As easily as possible, but the plants should not be 
too far advanced. Just as the buds are showing 
prominently is a good time. Shade the plants for a 
