170 
THE GARDENING WORLD. November 11, 1899. 
culture to produce compensatory plants is rather 
peculiar. The common garden or florists’ Auriculas 
are simple to manage. Once the seedlings are 
secured their progressive development in cold 
frames, and thence, when of decent size, into open 
beds, is only a matter of time and of care in water¬ 
ing and loosening the soil around them. Crock 
pans or boxes and cover the bottom layer with 
rough material. Half fill the receptacles with a 
coarser compost than that which you finish off with, 
making the whole of the material moderately firm. 
Sow the seeds evenly and thinly over the level and 
refined surface, merely covering them with the 
finest of soil. Spring time is the best period for this 
work, as then the plants have the summer before 
them, and are under favourable circumstances fit for 
planting by October of the same year. 
Chrysanthemums. —Intending purchasers of the 
newer varieties, or those in search of the older 
favourites which still are in demand, will have 
opportunities enough now and in the near future. 
There are some very fine Japanese novelties on the 
boards for the first time this year, accounts of which 
are appearing in the “ Chrysanthemum Notes ” in the 
pages of The Gardening World, describing what 
is to be seen in various nursery and other collections. 
The lists of hardy or early flowering decorative 
varieties, which are far the most recommendable to 
amateur growers with limited space at their disposal, 
have been considerably augmented. A good collec¬ 
tion of these should be in every garden, for cut 
flowers in any quantity cannot be secured from any 
other class of flowering plants at this season. A new 
form of O. J. Quintus has been sent out. O. J. 
Quintus is itself one of the most beautiful varieties 
of its class. The colour is lavender-pink, although 
descriptions of it vary. Souvenir d' une Petite 
Amie is a white variety of beautifully refined form. 
The creamy Lady Selborne adds a third variety and 
another distinct and pretty colour. Mytchett White 
and Market White are both very fine. Elaine, 
Peter the Great and Barbara Hare, though now to 
be reckoned among the ancients, are still of first-rate 
merit for market work and for the modest amateurs. 
But further notes must be left over for the present. 
Carnations. —The young Malmaison varieties are 
now doing well after the potting up, being in the 
cool span-roofted pits. The stages are covered with 
fine cinders, and each day, unless the weather is dull 
and muggy, or foggy, they are watered overhead 
from a fine-rossd can. Do dot let this operation be 
a virtual drenching but rather a thorough dewing. 
It is almost all they require. Plentiful ventilation 
and a perfectly sweet atmosphere must be constantly 
maintained. The matured plants, i. e., those which 
are for the spring flowering, must be watchfully 
attended to as regards airing, watering—of which 
they require infrequent but thorough supplies— 
cleaning off the least particle of decaying leaf, and 
fumigating or dipping them according to taste and 
the need. Many growers who are troubled with 
Carnation Rust keep their plants, but particularly 
the foliage, as dry as possible all the winter. 
Bouvardias are a class of plants very subject to 
insect infestation. Fumigating with Richard’s 
XL ALL Fumigator is by far the most satisfactory 
method for suppressing or exterminating all the race 
of “ flies ” which lodge upon them. Tie up each of 
the flowering shoots with the finest of split matting, 
each string depending from a central stake. 
Miscellaneous Work.—The present time, so long 
as fine weather is with us, must be made the most of 
to get into place all outdoor kinds of hardy plants, 
shrubs or trees. Digging and clearing up of all wall 
trees and climbers, odd corners in all the parts of 
the garden, and pruning, may soon be fully proceeded 
with. Root-pruning, of course, can at once, if not 
previously, be accomplished. In the houses plant¬ 
cleaning, staking, pruning and refixing or arranging 
the plants will occupy time. Batches of plants 
must be looked over, and all decaying, mouldy, or 
withered leaves and stems be taken off. Potting up 
bulbs and young batches of advancing plants also 
must be attended to.— Beacon. 
Sweet Sultan.— This is one of the best little annuals 
we have for the summer garden. It grows well on 
heavy calcareous soils and equally well in light humic 
ones. It should be sown thinly in drills in March 
and the plants thinned out when large enough, 
because they do not take kindly to shifting about. 
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. 
Suitable Screen. — Scottie : It is well to be particular 
in fixing and planning that which shall be more or 
less permanent and of frequent vision. As a break 
and screen to the Raspberry and vegetable ground, and 
as an ornament at the garden door, what could be more 
adaptable than a well planned rock-work ? By fol¬ 
lowing the hints which have been already furnished 
on the making and planting of rockeries, you need 
be at no loss. Any sort of stone will do, and when 
covered over with creeping Stonecrops, Saxifragas, 
Thymes, Ericas, ornamental grasses, and the host of 
suitable plants previously referred to, we can picture 
an effective and pleasurable feature to “ grace the 
eyes” “when admitting through the doorway,” as 
you yourself have written. 
The Price of Bulbs. —Dan Stewart, Donnybrook : 
Our answer could be, "it all depends”; which of 
course it does. A very great deal depends upon 
whom you buy from. A twenty-one shilling (21s.) 
collection would very like!} be sufficient for you, as 
this would include over 1,100 bulbs embracing 
Tulips, Narcissus, Hyacinths, Crocuses, Snowdrops, 
Irises, both Spanish and English, single Jonquils, 
Squills, and other bulbs. You could get from the 
bulb dealers—see advertisement pages of this paper 
—half, or a quarter, or even a half-crown's worth of 
assorted kinds in commensurate ratio of reduction 
of number according to the depreciation in price. 
Lilium rubellum — Admirer, Bath : Everyone 
speaks in praise of this beautiful new Lilium. We, 
as with many more, have had little experience in its 
culture, because so far the plant has been delicate, 
and the-numerous importations have not been very 
successful. Hints upon its likes and dislikes, as you 
no doubt have noticed before now, appeared in our 
issue for October 14th, from the pen of one most 
competent to judge and advise. 
* 
Gumming in Peach Trees. — Edina: "Doctors 
differ,” and for a long time pomologists had various 
interpretations to the causes creating the disease of 
gumming. The accepted explanation so far is that 
a fungus known as Coryneum Beijerinekii, whose 
mycelium of penetrating thread-like hyphae intro¬ 
duce or set up fermentation which transforms the 
tissues into a gummy material which exudes from the 
stems. Injuries to the bark, gross feeding, or too 
rampant root growth are strong incentives to gum¬ 
ming. Root pruning and very careful cutting out of 
the infected parts of the shoots and stems greatly 
tend to counteract the progress or establishment of 
the disease. Application of Bordeaux mixture to the 
gummy parts is of much service, as this eradicates 
the fungus. 
The Yine Border. — Edina : For early vineries 
indoor borders are recommended. This is because 
the whole system of the root area is supposed to be 
under more thorough control. Where outdoor bor¬ 
ders already exist to the early Vine houses you would 
do well to enquire about the condition of the roots 
therein. We would go so far as to suggest a con¬ 
crete base. This would let you have entire control, 
which is one of the most necessary points in Vine 
culture. At this season of the year dress the out¬ 
side border with leaves 2 ft. deep, over which lay a 
layer of straw, and fasten these by throwing spade¬ 
fuls of soil here and there all over. This preserves 
a certain degree of warmth, and saves the border 
from fluctuations in temperature, and also retains a 
suitable degree of moisture without drenchings. We 
would refer you to the remarks of “ H. D.” on 
Peach Borders in The Gardening World, October 
28th. 
Aspidistra Flower. — Botanist : The flowers are 
quite insignificant from a decorative point of view. 
Botanically they are rather curious, however. The 
stigma over-rides and conceals the stamens or 
anther heads very effectively. In shape the blooms 
are something like a royal crown, of a creamy and 
pale magenta combination, not larger than a shilling 
piece, and borne on very short stems, which only 
raise them to the soil surface. Seeds from this 
plant are extremely rare, Snails of a minute variety 
are said to fertilise them, but personally we should 
prefer to ascribe this process to the little ants which 
trot all over them. Plants which have been growing 
freely, but which are latterly starved, flower the 
most profusely. 
Seaweed as Manure. —Ipswich : What you see is 
a species of Fucus, F. vesiculosus, found in very 
large quantities on all cur coasts. Seaweed of 
various kinds are largely used to our knowledge by 
the Ayrshire farmers for ploughing into their very 
light and sandy soils. This Fucus would be benefi¬ 
cial for light, hungry soils, used in moderate quanti¬ 
ties, say twenty tons an acre, but would not be so 
acceptable on heavy clays, owing to the large 
quantity of sodium carbonate contained. The 
bladders give the plants buoyancy. Studied under 
the microscope it is most interesting. 
KitcQen Garden Calendar. 
Pits and frames will now be in great request for the 
protection and forwarding of many vegetables, and 
as the weather during the present month is usually 
dull and foggy special care will be needed in the ven¬ 
tilation and watering of the contents or damping off 
will be the result. French Beans that are in bloom 
should have a little air both night and day, but not 
sufficient to lower the temperature below 55 0 at 
night, or the flowers will not set freely. When 
the weather is fine and warm a little more air may 
be admitted in the daytime. We may soon expect a 
change to frost, therefore every precaution should 
be taken to prevent any sudden lowering of the 
temperature in the pits. Another sowing of Beans 
should now be made to succeed those that are 
already in an advanced state. 
A few Potato sets should be selected, put on their 
ends in shallow boxes, and placed in a gentle heat to 
give them a stare previous to planting on hotbeds or 
in pits, as much time and space will be saved by sa 
doing. The sets should be of an even size that all 
may grow alike when planted out. 
Asparagus Forcing will by this be in full swing. 
Roots that were prepared as previously advised will 
start readily into growth with a gentle warmth. It 
is a great mistake to employ too strong a heat in 
forcing this vegetable, for if we take notice the finest 
growths are made before the weather gets too hot. 
Where hotbeds are employed for the production of 
Asparagus care must be taken Dot to have them too 
warm, a bottom heat of from 6o° to 65° being 
ample. Air must be admitted on all favourable 
occasions to give flavour to the growth. Whenever 
a bed shows signs of becoming exhausted have 
ano her one prepared and planted in this way, so 
that a constant supply may be kept up. 
Beds should now be prepared for sowiDg Radishes, 
Carrots, Onions and the like, that they may be in 
readiness when required. None of these require 
much heat, but as winter is approaching it will be 
necessary to keep the soil warm enough to maintain 
a steady growth. Continue to introduce Rhubarb, 
Seakale, Chicory and Endive into a gentle heat, as 
the other supplies get forward. The latter will be 
more in demand now that Lettuce is not so good, 
and Chicory is always useful when well blanched. 
Small salads too,such as Mustard and Cress, Chervil 
and young Onions will be needed. 
Peas. —In some places where glass is limited a 
sowing of these is made on a warm border in this 
month; but as our winters and springs are so 
treacherous no reliance can be placed on these 
sowings for the production of an early crop; still, 
where such things are expected the gardener must 
use every effort to have them as early as his neigh¬ 
bours. Sometimes very favourable results are 
obtained ; therefore it is well worth running the risk 
of loss of seed to try and get a crop. It is, however, 
not advisable to sow too early as the plants get very 
forward and should severe weather in March visit us 
many of the plants are killed. Where convenience 
can be found for sowing in pots we do not advise 
sowing in the open ground at the present season; 
but if sowings are made choose some of the hardier 
kinds that will withstand the frost. Round varieties 
have now gone out of date for private establish 
ments as there are so many good early kinds of 
superior flavour, such as William Hurst, Exonian, 
&c. 
