104 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
October 14, 1899- 
Hints for ||mateurs. 
Bedding Plants.—As a rule the cuttings of nearly 
every class of bedding plants are firm and stout this 
year, so that where there are plenty of shoots made 
one of the chief points of success in propagation is 
assured. But this is a ticklish time in the manage¬ 
ment of bedding plants as a whole. Pelargoniums 
in boxes in the frame ground, or standing out on the 
paths must be looked over occasionally. Even if a 
few leaves become mouldy, thus retaining dampness 
around them, they act in no good way in relation to 
the others. There will be any amount of dead 
leaves to pick off. When these are taken away the 
air, being more at freedom to penetrate among the 
cuttings, has a wonderful power in bracing them up 
and in keeping them healthy and clean One good 
watering after they are put into the boxes is gener¬ 
ally sufficient for them. There is no root action for 
some weeks, so that unless the weather happens to 
be dry and hot the soil will have no chance of be¬ 
coming parched. A fault which we in our haste may 
commit is in putting the cuttings in too deeply This 
applies more particularly to the smaller stuff, such 
as Vincas, Euonymus, Calceolarias, Violas, and so 
on. These are not large at the best, and it is an 
easy matter to do wrong with them. Oar desire to 
get them firm at the base may be overdone, so that 
when we water them afterwards their crowns are 
capped with fine soil and sand. Some of the leaves 
too, may be covered up, and these by decaying may 
be the means for causing the stems themselves to 
damp off. Still, the chief operation to be careful 
over (speaking now of frame-gro vn stuff) is the airing. 
For some time, a few days, say, after the cuttings 
are put in, keep the frames practically shut up and 
shaded. The object of this is to keep an even tem¬ 
perature, warm to a degree, and to prevent the in¬ 
rush of cold winds or of draughts, which would be 
hurtful ia more ways than one. Then when the 
cuttings have pricked up a bit, as they ought to do 
under ordinary circumstances, more air can be 
given, but the shade must be kept on so long as the 
weather is sunny. Abjut ten days after having in¬ 
serted and watered them, go over the beds, poking 
between the plants and tie rows wiih a sharp 
pointed stick, taking away any withered leaves at 
the same time. If this operation is done regularly, 
both with cuttings dibbled into beds in frames or 
with those in pots aDd boxes, and if the growers 
just guard against an excess of moisture, together 
with proper ventilation, there need be no fear enter¬ 
tained as to their progress Cuttings of Pelargon¬ 
iums which have rooted may be left for some short 
while yet, whence they may be potted off singly into 
3 in. pots For this purpose we fall back on the old 
Crysanthemum soil, which is rich enough, and at 
the same time full of fibre. It only requires the 
addition of a slight amount of fresh loam and sand 
to make this a perfectly suitable potting compost If 
crocks happen to be mixed with the soil pass it 
through a J-iu. sieve Many things are out-of-doors 
yet, so that it would be wise to have a quantity of 
protective material sought out ready to use for 
covering up on short notice. Bracken, Asparagus, 
straw, mats, &c., are all useful. 
Chrysanthemums.—A week of bright weather, 
breezy and sunny during the day, brisk and sharp at 
night, is worth more in the way of plump, healthy 
growth than three weeks of indoor care. But if the 
weather is to be as wet and dull as it has been lately 
every plant whose buds have set and are swelling 
well must be housed with despatch. The plants this 
year are very robust and clean. Black fly, however, 
has troubled them, especially during the last two 
months. So far as I have been observing there is 
no rust in appearance yet. Should it be in your own 
collection try the effect of this mixture :—Half a 
gallon of water, one pound of whale oil soap, boiled 
together, to which is added one gallon of best petro¬ 
leum ; make this boil, and keep it stirred for fifteen 
minutes, then add three ounces of ammonia car¬ 
bonate. Pour the mixture into jars, and use it in 
small amounts when cold for syringing the plants 
with. In cases where mildew has obtained a hold 
the best combatant is fresh flowers of sulphur. This 
can either be dusted over the plants with a •* duster,” 
which is a funnel-shaped box perforated and mopped 
with wool, and one end made for the purpose. Any 
of the sundriesmen advertising in The Gaedening 
World will provide one. Or a sulphur solution 
may be made and^syringed over the plants. Use 
fairly warm water (8o° or go°) for the purpose, and 
keep the mixture well worked up. 
Staging.—It stands to reason that the amateur’s 
conservatory is stocked in a fairly full way before 
ever a single Chrysanthemum plant is brought within 
the doors. The question which faces every 
” Chrysanthemist" at this time then is, what am I 
to do ? 
Well, in the first place, it is very evident that the 
plants already indoors and the plants yet to come 
in, cannot all have room. If there is one fact more 
to bo emphasised than another it is that the plants 
must have freedom. 
Therefore, as a necessity, an evil necessity it may 
be, some of the already existing plants must be 
ousted. Do not delay. Frost may steal down on 
any of the coming nights, and nip off those plants 
which have cost you so much work all through this 
last warm summer. If you have a number of 
Geraniums, or correctly, zonal Pelargoniums, unless 
these are thoroughly good plants, fresh, stout, clean, 
healthy, well foliaged and likely to flower freely in 
the coming weeks, cut them down to within 4 in. 
from the base. This will give you freedom, and you 
will not loose anything. What to do with these cut 
down plants will be explained in a later paragraph. 
Then, no doub f , the Fuchsias may still be occu¬ 
pying a place. Pemove these to some cool light 
house, or shed even. 
After this the Cannas, Aspidistras, and other 
plants whose nature is either hardy enough to stand 
the vicissitudes of a parlour or hall temperature, or 
whose character is to dry up and rest for a period, 
can all be taken away. Thus we shall have some 
considerable space. The next move is to arrange 
the tallest Chrysanthemums in the centre and aloDg 
the sides of the house. The blooms expand best, and 
are strongest when they open within a short distance 
from the glass, say 1 It. 
After the blooms have somewhat expanded, and 
no more growth in length is likely, then it pays to 
re-arrange the plants so that the blooms come be¬ 
neath the eyes. It would be a wise plan even if the 
stages were all made to lower or raise as required. 
We cannot expect tastes to be at one in the matter 
of arranging the different sections of this plant. 
Some may like to have all the Japanese varieties 
together, others may like to mix the Japs, and the 
incurved varieties, and so on. The best results are 
obtained when this latter section are kept by them¬ 
selves at the warmest end of the house, and the 
Japanese at the cooler part The bush varieties may 
be banked up in the midddle stage. If there is no 
central platform the tallest should be placed in the 
most convenient places on the floor. In large gardens 
the early-flowering bush plants generally occupy the 
Peach or other fruit houses. I like the early Mdme. 
Desgranges varieties ; Lady Selborne is an early, 
but very much better variety ; Mychett White and 
the newer Market White are capital; Rivers H. 
Langton is one of the earliest Japanese forms ; Rye- 
croft Glory and May Manser are both of recent in¬ 
troduction, and are 1 mge blooms of much merit when 
taken ea-dy. But we can consult the charms of 
varieties more fully in another few days. 
After the plants are all boused turn on a slight 
flow of heat to the pipes, aod keep a chink of top 
and bottom air on at all times. Nothing is more 
dangerous than a cold muggy atmosphere for the 
plants after coming from the open air. A warm 
circulating wave keeps the plants in brisk actioD, 
and able to ward off mildew or disease. Do not feed 
them after the blooms begin to burst open. Abstain 
from watering much. 
Fuchsias. — Gradually withhold water from these 
until the foliage withers. They can now be placed 
in a vinery or a fruit house if this is at command. 
If not, place them close together in a sheltered shed 
or with smaller plants, under the stages of the con¬ 
servatory, putting them on their sides. The small 
amount of water they will get there will be sufficient 
for them. The main thing is to get them dried off 
properly and afterwards comfortably stored out of 
the way. With Cannas the same rules apply. 
YouDg Fuchsias must be kept growing on, being now 
placed on shelves near the light. 
Pelargoniums.—The cut back plants should be 
kept dust dry and the pots car, be placed away on 
shelves or under stages, but the position must be dry 
and moderately warm. CuttlDgs should be made 
from the firmest and stoutest shoots which were cut 
from the old plants. These can be struck in pots or 
boxes of light soil in warm pits. When they have 
rooted, take them to a cool house. 
Miscellaneous Work.— Pot off ' Carnations. 
Imported Azaleas for Christmas flowering must be 
kept in a warm house and syringed three or four 
times a day. Pot Vines and other fruit trees should 
be ripened and exposed to the fullest, once the crop 
is gathered. Remove all shadings. Mend all paths 
or make new ones at this season. Trees, shrubs and 
hardy plants generally do best when planted at this 
time. Take up and pot all bedding stuff required 
for stock next year, such as dwarf Lobelias and 
Lobelia cardinalis where the soil is cold and heavy ; 
“ Geraniums,” Echeverias, AlternaDtberas, Iresines, 
&c. Store Begonias when the foliage dies off, keep¬ 
ing them in their colours by themselves. Give 
plenty of air to tree Carnations, and house all the 
Cyclamen, Cinerarias, Primulas, Calceolarias, 
Solanums, and other plants which have been in the 
frames during the summer.— Beacon. 
-« 5 *- 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subject 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. 
Hardy Ferns. — Ergo: Your wish is laudable. 
Nothing is healthier or more refreshing to our eyes 
than Ferns in rockeries and woodland crags, or what 
is the next best thing, a rootery in some quiet shady 
corner of the garden. By rootery, we refer to a 
mixture of tree-roots, and stones. Great roots can 
be most effectively made use of along with both 
large and small stones. In the finished state, but 
more especially after a year or two’s growth, where 
creepers, Ferns, grasses, hardy plants, and dwarf 
shrubs have been employed in the “make-up,” 
these rooteries form most charming and interesting 
features. Many an odd corner, now ody a nuisance, 
could be made a little "Treasure Island,” if only the 
owner or the gardener could see their way to adopt 
the hint. However, try the following list of hardy 
Ferns in the meantime:—Scolopendrum vulgare 
(ihe Hart’s Tongue Fern), the Royal Fern (Osmunda 
regalis), the Lady Fern (Asplenium Felix-foemin?), 
and many of its varieties, the Male Fern (Nephrc- 
dium Felix-mas), and several species of Polypodiuro. 
Once there.become established you may then wish 
for greater variety. 
Carnation Compost. —East Sheen : For the first 
pottiDg use two parts of yellow loam (this is the 
best, the yellow loam) aDd one part each of sharp 
sand aDd Beech leaf-mould. Fcr after pottings use 
more loam, and add some dry natural manure, pre¬ 
ferably that of pigeons. 
Calla elliottiana.— G. Beech, Herts.: Unfortunately 
the price charged by nurserymen for even very 
small crowns of this yellow-flowered Calla is pro¬ 
hibitively high. You will get crowns of two years' 
growth for 7s. 6d., and so on, up to a guinea. They 
can be bought now and potted up, giving them a 
fairly rich soil and not too large pots. They will 
start growth early in the New Year. 
Cyclamen. — J. Bolton, Tarbert: A sowing of these 
should have been made in August. However, since 
that month is passed, delay no longer. Sow your 
seeds in carefully prepared pans of light sandy soil. 
Crock these well, and fill them with the fine soil, 
sowing the seeds on the surface, and merely covering 
them afterwards. Water the pars through a fine 
rosed can, using tepid water. Place the pans in a 
close case and allow them bottom heat. When 
the young plants have made one leaf, gently ease 
them out and prick them into other pans of fresh 
soil, and when they have grown to a fair size pot 
them off singly, still keeping them in a warm house. 
Your ol i plants, after flowering, need not neces¬ 
sarily be thrown away. 
Window Plants: How to Manage— Jessop: 
With ordinary care we generally find window 
plants pass the winter all right. In case of failure 
again, however, your questions have come in gcod 
time if you will observe the following rules. Do 
not place them close to the window panes, because 
