■248 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
December 16, 18S9, 
Joints for Amateurs. 
Bamboos — Even though the Bamboos, such as 
Bambusa gracilis, and its variegated form, B. 
Simonii, B. nana, and B. Fortuneii variegata are 
plants of the most graceful appearance of any of the 
many thousands grown in British gardens, and, not¬ 
withstanding the extreme simplicity of their culture, 
their introduction to many a large, and more so, to 
many a small garden, has yet to take place. Their 
culture is simply this. Buy, say, three nicely 
furnished plants of a species or variety from a grower. 
These are generally stout and compact enough to 
allow of their being divided into about three portions. 
Pot up these parts so as to form distinct plants, 
placing the pots for a short while in a warm ferment¬ 
ing bed, or just on the stage of a warm house. New 
roots will soon ramify throughout the soil, and the 
plants will prick up. Cool treatment, no forcing 
or coddling, plenty of light, and mild air, with a 
steady supply of water according to needs are, after 
this point, really the only hints which are necessary. 
An ordinary loam compost with a dash of sand is 
found to suit them. 
Adiantums.—While on the subject of foliage 
plants, the Maidenhair Ferns may be referred to. 
In houses by themselves, apart from anything else, I 
can always find much to admire in them. Very 
many plants during winter are tried to the last 
cord of their resistance by persons who have the 
best of intentions but who seem never for a moment 
to think they never exercise judgement in the most 
vital item of cultural treatment at this time—water¬ 
ing. Far rather dry the plants off and give them a 
rest than sodden and sour the balls of soil by 
constant dribblings. To those who are successful 
with their Ferns, it may seem redundant so much of 
this " cant,” but almost daily evidence comes to one 
that the advice is necessary. The opposite extreme, 
that of allowing every kind of Fern to become dust- 
dry, is not intended to be adopted. Young stock 
always requires more careful attention and treatment 
than do older plants. All dying and withering 
fronds of the Adiantums or other members should 
be picked off cleanly. 
Aspidistras. — These plants are favonrites with all 
classes of garden lovers. They are at once most 
ornamental and steady in their growth, that is, ups 
and downs seem to have little effect upon their 
health. Pot-bound plants also seem to thrive 
equally as well as well as those which have plenty 
of space. The variegated variety of A. lurida is, 
indeed, increased in beauty by being potted first in 
a light limy soil and, when root-bound, kept so, only 
being nourished by small quantities of liquid 
manure. Oa the other hand, if A. lurida is desired 
as a fine, large s : zed, green specimen it should re¬ 
ceive liberal treatment, being occasionally fed with 
a weak solution of nitrate of soda, or other chemical 
fertiliser. The foliage should be kept bright and 
clean. 
Manettia bicolor. —For purposes of decoration, 
such as pillar-draping, or as plants for bush-trained 
greenhouse specimens, the Manettias, as a whole, 
may well be included in the garden list. The flowers 
of M. bicolor are tubular, about r in. in length, 
narrow, of a scarlet colour, with a deep yellow or 
orange tip. They are freely borne on the young 
wood. Cuttings may either be taken in autumn or 
in spring from half ripened wood of the previous 
season. The treatment meted to a Fuchsia will 
almost equally answer in regard to the Manettia. 
About June, just before potting the plants into 8-in. 
pots, pinch back the shoots so as to form more 
bushy and sturdier plants. The autumn treatment 
ought to be such as to secure firmly ripened wood 
rather than further formation. Older plants may be 
top dressed in spring instead of being repotted or 
potted on. The plant makes a splendid trellis 
climber. Well seasoned, hardy specimens are 
annually placed out in some of the fine beds in the 
London parks during summer, and flower under such 
treatment toward the end of August. 
Panax Victoria.—This is a pretty silvery cut 
leaved stove plant, which is one of the foremost 
favourites in all our larger gardens. Here again we 
are fortunate in having a plant at once as beautiful 
as we might well wish any plant to be, yet whose 
cultural care seems to try one. Fine young plants 
can be developed by any one who possesses a frame 
and a small, light, heated conservatory. The silvery 
foliage, plus its graceful habit and manner of filling 
out into well furnished plants as it goes along, 
should be strongly in its favour for acceptance by 
the younger volunteers to the army of amateur 
gardeners. Early in February slips from straight 
side shoots should be taken and inserted in the 
ordinary manner within small pots. Plunge them 
in a bed, giving a bottom heat to the pot of 75 0 . 
Keep them well encased so as prevent undue 
evaporation. When they have rooted grow them on 
for a short while in the same pots, placing them on 
a shelf in a warm house, the plants being within a 
few inches from the glass. Be sure that before pot¬ 
ting them on the compost has been previously 
warmed. Ordinary care in potting, watering, slight 
pinching of the laterals, and the attention to main¬ 
tain a temperature of not less than 6o c Fahr. will be 
found all that this pretty little plant demands. 
Plumbago capensis — Hints on the culture of 
this gloriously beautiful, bright blue greenhouse 
climber are always sought for. Strong cuttings of a 
few inches in length are struck in spring, or where 
the circumstances will allow of it the shoots may be 
notched and pegged down. By such a process they 
soon send out roots. When the cuttings have be¬ 
come rooted plants cool house treatment and pro¬ 
gressive shifts must be given, first into 5-in. pots, then 
into 7-in. or 8-in. pots, until after having raised fine, 
strong plants with one good central stem and a num¬ 
ber of side branches the plants may be planted out. 
During the summer, when growth is being made, 
some amount of shade is absolutely essential. 
Water may then be freely given, and the plants will 
be all the better from having a daily overhead 
syringing. A shoot which has a tendency to over¬ 
growth must be cut well back. The insect pests 
attacking them are greenfly and red spider ch'efly, 
so that at times soft-soap water, with also a tobacco 
solution or fumigation should be employed. 
Hedges.—When hedges become baggy, loose, and 
fail for the purposes of ornament, it sometimes 
proves a correct method to severely prune them in. 
They are for the time being made more wretched in 
appearance than before, but that has to be endured. 
No one unskilled to the work, however, should take 
any difficult reparation in hand. The whole after 
beauty and health of the hedge depends on the cor¬ 
rect performance of this work of pruning in. In 
other cases again, where the hedge has become de¬ 
crepit and dead in parts, generally through the effect 
of over-shadowing trees, where the trees above them 
cannot be pruned, the next plan is tcp dress the 
roots of the hedge, and to allow the whole body of 
it to grow rampant without any pruning for at least 
three years. This has a wonderfully recuperative 
effect. 
Petanias for spring flowering should be past the 
cutting stage now. With facilities and a good 
knowledge of the plant, it is not too late even now 
to insert strong cuttings or to sow seeds. These, 
however, would not flower at so early a date as 
plants which at present are rooted and in 3-inch 
pots. A place on a greenhouse or peachery shelf is 
the best position for them at present. 
Ampelopsis —The usefulness, plus all the other 
qualities which the varieties of Ampelopsis 
possess, become more strongly apparent as each 
season passes. The hints which are applicable in 
their respect at this time are few. They can be 
planted all through the winter, weather permitting, 
care being taken to mulch the roots after having 
planted them. Layers, or cuttings, strike with 
freedom in light, sandy soils. 
The Seed order. —Very soon the seed order for 
next year will require to be made up. Christmas 
and New Year time have so many calls upon our 
spare hours, and upon our money, that it would prob¬ 
ably be wise to consider and fix upon the list of garden 
requirements before the buzz and the expenditures 
of parties, presents and people absorb more than the 
amounts which can be spared. There are many little 
objects which have been seen, admired, envied, and, 
perhaps, quietly promised to oneself or to the good 
wife, or other near member of the household during 
the summer, and this is just the time to get them, or 
make sure that they shall be got; it is also just the 
time that they are overlooked. See to it, then. 
The Fruit houses. —The timely article on the 
winter treatment of the Vine, by a correspondent, in 
The Gardening World recently, sums up all that 
could have to say here. The peachery should also 
be gone over and put in order, pruning, washing, 
painting of trellis or wood-work, and various other 
points, which the article above noted will suggest, 
may all be seen to now.— Beacon. 
—--— 
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. 
Gloire de Dijon Rose.— L. Logan : Let the aspect be 
south or west. It is found doing well on all sorts of 
soils, but in our experience the most floriferous 
plants were grown on a gravelly loam. Unless the 
leading aDd lateral shoots are properly pruned in the 
training, this, like other varieties, is apt to flower all 
at the top, leaving the other shoots bare. It can be 
grafted upon seedling Briers in April, or budded 
later again about September. 
Tibouchina macrantha. — W. Errol: From the 
description, and the fact that it is the only climber 
of the kind flowering at this time we conclude that 
the above is your plant. Cuttings or seeds, struck 
in the one case, or sown in the other, any time before 
May, will by cool greenhouse treatment furnish 
other plants in a short while. Keep the side shoots 
slightly pinched. 
Thorns for Front Garden.— J. Nicoll ; The 
Thorns are pretty in their flowering season, but not 
greatly so during the summer. They are more 
suited for the half-kept ornamental grounds. The 
False Acacia is a very pretty foliaged shrub or tree. 
Cornus mas variegata is sweet, Laburnums are 
wcrthy, so with the flowering Cherries, &c. Prunus 
Pissardii would be pleasant. 
Liming Gooseberries, Grower ” : The practice 
is mainly to prevent birds from alighting or at least 
from picking the buds. It to a certain extent 
prevents the Gooseberry sawfly and other pests from 
depositing eggs on the bushes. After having pruned 
your bushes if sparrows, bullfinches, or chaffinches 
are troublesome let a lad go over the bushes to string 
dark-coloured thread from tip to tip of the shoots 
Threading rods are sold by most of our sundriesmen. 
The Lavender. — Wm. M., Selkirk : In April when 
the soil has begun to get moistened and warm, trans¬ 
plant to a shady border. Slips may be taken from 
the plants at this time, and after being prepared as 
cuttings they should be placed in lines about 4 in- 
deep in sheltered south borders. 
The Pruning of Shrubs.— Arborist: Weigela*, 
shrubby Spiraeas, and the host of flowering shrubs 
we know are paid more attention to by the German 
gardeners than by our own craftsmen. We our¬ 
selves are content to thin the branches only, so as to 
allow more light and air to enter ; form has to be con¬ 
sidered. It is a fact that nurserymen prune all 
manner of young stock to secure shapely specimens. 
Probably some of our readers may express a fuller 
opinion. 
Mule Pinks. — M. L.T. : Splendid plants full of 
beauty and fragrance. At Dalkeith Palace they are 
grown all over the kitchen garden along the edges of 
the paths, &c., and afford a wealth of cut bloom. 
Layers or slips should have been taken in the early 
part of autumn. Could you not divide the plants, 
having roots to each division ? We should leave the 
propagation alone for the present. They enjoy a 
rich, moist, rooting area in a half shaded border. 
Salvia patens and Lobelia cardinalis.— " Be¬ 
ginner": It is a curious coincidence your having 
mentioned two plants which we recommend should 
be lifted during winter. They are strikingly beauti¬ 
ful, each worthy of pot culture. Lift them both and 
store them in shallow boxes, firming the tubers and 
the roots well with light soil. Place the boxes on a 
cool house stage, and give very little water. In 
springtime take cuttings, and either pot up or plant 
out the old stools, as for Dahlias or in the case of 
the Lobelia, as for Pentstemons. Of course, on a 
light soil, well dried, and warm this work of lifting 
would not be necessary 
