296 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 6, 1900. 
INTS FOR WMATEURS. 
Greenhouse Climbers.—Referring for a moment to 
cool greenhouse climbers the following may be 
added to the list of those which appeared last 
week :— 
Solanum jasminoides was treated of quite fully 
enough when answering a correspondent in last 
week's number. I prefer it to the white Plumbago. 
Lapageria rosea and Alba are difficult, at least 
with us they are difficult, to strike as cuttings. 
Seedlings come on well enough, but they also take 
funny turns. I would invite the comments of 
readers, professionals or amateurs, upon their 
success in the propagation and treatment of the 
Lapageria. Old plants which we possess cover quite 
a large surface, and flower most freely. They are 
very subject to attacks frcm black flies. Constant 
syringing and fumigating must be minded in their 
culture. They seem to prefer warm borders of a 
turfy and porous description. Plenty of water and 
feeding may be given at all times. Plants in pots 
should be brought on in a warm house, 
Passifloras.—Except for P.caerulea and Constance 
Elliot, I would not recommend amateurs to go in 
for these at all strongly. The old P. racemosa or P. 
princeps, should be found more frequently in warm 
houses, but as cool house subjects the above are very 
fitting. Their culture runs in the same lines as do 
the Lapagerias. I prefer to raise them from cuttings 
of the young shoots, taken wiih a heel during 
spring. 
Tacsoaia Buchananii may in all respects be 
treated as for either Lapagerias or Passifloras. It 
likes gocd drainage, a warm border, confined rootage, 
and plenty of water and liquid manure. Green 
fly troubles it. 
Crimson Rambler Rose. — Either as a corridor 
climbing plant or for open-air trellises, or, again, 
planted out in beds in the pleasure grounds and 
flower garden, the Crimson Rambler Rose is a 
general favourite, and fortunately is becoming more 
widely apprecia'ed. The beauty of this Rose for 
massing in beds lies very particularly in its habit of 
sending up long, arching shoots, whose interlacing 
supports each the other. There is absolutely no 
staking required. Where unlimited space can be 
given for a wide spread development of the rambling 
shoots a few planted, thinly disposed over a 
respectable area of ground may be made to cover 
the same by means of pegging down the shoots. They 
grow so long that there is no direct need to lay them 
flat, they may be led upward to be looped downward, 
and after being notched they may be pegged firmly 
down at the notch, and the points of the shoots at 
the same time directed upward. The soil around the 
plants and into which the shoots are pegged can 
hardly be too rich or too well broken up and pul¬ 
verised. A self-supported hedge of Crimson Ram¬ 
bler forms one of the proudest features and cheeriest 
sights of our summer gardens. 
Fortune's Yellow Rose.—More than once I have 
" beat the drum ” for the awakening of a love for 
this fine early flowering decorative Rose. As a pot 
variety and a free flower it certainly is to be recom¬ 
mended. For him or her who wishes an exhibition 
bloom Fortune's Yellow may be passed, but for 
grace, natural beauty, and all the features of free 
loveliness, this may well be added to good collections. 
It seems to be most useful after it has become com¬ 
fortably established and well advanced in formation. 
Euphorbia (Poinsettia) pulcherrima.—Where 
there is convenience for the growth of this plant 
no one should hesitate to grow a batch. Very 
few things at this period of the year are so bright 
for indoor decoration. It may well be said to have 
no rival as a brightly ornamental December plant, 
continu'ng in flower, as it does, for a long time. 
There are a few points which make it desirable to 
have dwarf instead of long-legged plants, these 
latter generally being leafless. Dwarf plants may be 
secured by taking the strong top shoot of a vigorous 
plant during August. With care these root freely 
enough, only a good bottom heat is necessary. 
During August, of course, it will be necessary to 
shade them very thoroughly, and to maintain a 
moist, close atmosphere around them. A passing 
word is necessary in regard to the making of the 
cultiDgs. The cut should be clean and straight, and 
exactly below a joint. The internodes are hollow, 
and any careless preparation of the cuttings would 
almost certainly end in their decomposing and dying 
off. As soon as roots have been developed the 
plants may then be gradually potted on till a 5-in. 
pot is given them. As they grow they must also be 
more and more inured to the fullest of light, being 
kept near the glass. Late cuttings are more fickle 
than others taken in spriDg, and which are grown 
naturally throughout the summer in pits. Great 
heat is not necessary for the development of the red 
leaves known as bracts. The more gradually these 
expand the better in every respect will they be. 
The stems bearing the bracts last for several weeks 
if cut and placed in water. 
Chrysanthemums.—Where the means for secur¬ 
ing a reasonable percentage o: rooted plants from a 
known quantity of cuttiDgs is entirely inadequate or 
is faulty, and the time at disposal to wait on the 
needs of cuttings which are rooting, it may well be 
deemed a sensible plan to cut down the old plants, 
and instead of trying to take cuttings at all, let the 
sucker shoots grow up to form the flowering plants 
of the following year. It may or may not be 
advisable to Lhin out the shoots ; all depends on the 
vigour of the variety ; generally, however, thinning 
is essential. After the cutting down of the old 
stems it is wonderful how little water the old shoots 
need. Such plants can stand a great deal of rough 
treatment, but do not try their constitutions too 
much. Allow the growing sucker shoots a good 
amouLt of light and a fair supply of moisture. Be¬ 
fore the season becomes advanced take an oppor¬ 
tunity to turn out the old balls from their pots, 
shake them well to loosen some of the soil, then pot 
the plants once again in pots of the same 
size, or at least of only one size larger. Pot firmly, 
and use a rich, rather solid compost. Dew the 
foliage regularly after this operation. The old and 
seemingly little known La Vierge and Virgin Queen 
lend themselves splendidly to this procedure. They 
even seem to flower more profusely by being left 
alone as regards re-potting. They require a tremen¬ 
dous amount of water and liquid manure, and also 
should be plunged in a bed of coal ashes when re¬ 
potting has not taken place. Mrs. George Rundle, 
Geo. Glenny, Jeanne d'Arc, Dr. Sharpe, Elsie, 
Mary Anderson, Sunflower, and others all lend 
themselves remarkably well to this two-year-old 
system of growing them. 
Astrantia major.—For the sake of variety it would 
be well to add this to the herbaceous border. So 
far as I have seen the plant in flower the colour of 
these might be described as a shade of brown. The 
larger variety grows about 2 \ ft. high, being bushy 
and self supporting. When cut the trusses last a 
long time. They are quite distinct, and may be 
used along with almost any other kind of flower in 
vase arrangements. 
Malya moschata alba. — As a rule the Malt as 
or Malopes are more ornamental as foliage subjects. 
Of course, where they produce an amount of laven¬ 
der blooms, they may be deemed ornamental enough. 
But in M. moschata alba lovers of hardy plaits have 
a subject which they should not like to lose sight of. 
This is mainly because of its habit of throwing up 
clusters of pure white large blooms much like a 
Godetia. Tney bloom for a long time, from mid¬ 
summer until frost puts a stop to their vigour. The 
sheltered, moist corner of a border such as skirts the 
garden walks will answer very well. 
Light and Graceful Trees and Shrubs suitable 
for small front villa gardens may be found in the 
following : — Golden Privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium 
aureum) ; Common Privet (L. vulgare) ; Golden and 
Cut-leaved Elders (Sambucus nigra aurea and S. n. 
laciniata) ; Arbutus Unedo, Berberis Aquifolium, 
Viburnum Opulus, Pyrus japonica, P. Aucuparia, 
PruDUS nana, Weigela rosea, Forsythia suspensa, 
Daphne Laureola, and D. Mezereum, all of which 
are more or less dwarf and bushy. For trees to 
plant as outside edgings to the front garden those of 
light and graceful habit of growth should be chosen 
rather than trees, whose nature it is to grow tall and 
spreading, and whose limbs in a year or two have to 
be miserably cropped in. The Thorns are among 
the finest; Sophora japonica and the false Acacia 
with its varieties are charming; the Tulip tree 
(Liriodendron tulipifera) may be introduced in 
larger front gardens ; the double and single Prunus 
or flowering Cherries are capital; some of the Birch 
trees would do, such as Betula alba pendula and 
Young’s fine variety, B. a. Youngii If more were 
wanted Ceanothus azureus may be tried; the 
Honeysuckles when well trained; and tall standard 
Roses may even be grown with a fair measure of 
success. 
Present Work.—Pea and Bean stakes may be pre¬ 
pared and stacked away ready for use. Nets 
which are used for protecting blossom and 
young growth or for defying the birds may also be 
looked over to make sure as to their condition. 
Lettuces may be planted out in cold frames to keep 
up the supply. A gentle bottom heat is beneficial to 
them. Where Cucumbers are attempted during 
winter it is necessary to top-dress the rocts fre¬ 
quently. Trenching operations at all favourable 
times may be proceeded with. Watering of all in¬ 
door plants must be cautiously done.— Beacon. 
--- 
Correspondence. 
Questions ashed by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this pai e. 
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. 
Yinea for an Amateur's Lean-to.— Samuels : For 
the purpose of an amateur gardener who has little 
time to spare to Grape-growing, but who wishes 
ardently to have a try at the same, we would, as we 
have said before, grow Black Hamburgh. The fol¬ 
lowing others may be taken in hand if it is desired: 
—Madresfield Court, a variety with splendid 
flavour; Foster's Seedling, which has large bunches, 
and is a white Grape; Alicante, a good black ; and 
white Frontignan. 
Aloysia citriodora. — Hamman : The lemon 
scented Vtrbena usually should be rested through 
the winter. In March, after you have potted the 
plants afresh and trimmed the shoots, new growths 
will break out. Cuttings may be taken soon after¬ 
wards, or when the wood is maturing in August; 
strike in moderate heat, and grow them on steadily 
in a greenhouse when rooted. 
Agapanthus umbellatus. — Mclvor\ Propagate 
from offsets which may be broken or cut off in 
February, potted up and kept in a moist warm 
house till active growth is evident. The roots of 
course must not be kept too saturated. A compost 
of three parls good fibrous loam, some leaflhould, 
peat, charcoal, and sand, and this made very firm, 
should be given them. Old plants flower best when 
they are thoroughly root-bound. Such plants re¬ 
quire liberal liquid manure waterings through the 
summer. In winter they must be kept almost with¬ 
out water. 
Potting Ferjs. — S. R. : Those which you mention 
as making a fresh start by sending out the aerial 
roots, &c., may at once be potted. So soon as the 
days begin to lengthen, the general potting of indoor 
plants takes place. 
Plan of Rockery.— IV. II. IF.: To have the 
greatest variety in the least space may be proper 
enough when the plants are skilfully placed, but 
only under such stipulations. If you can choose 
raised ground ; an area which slopes on three sides 
at least should be selected. • This allows a diversity 
of aspects. To make a number of connected, yet 
distinct sections of a rocks ry, a prominent central 
portion with other tier-like, circular, or irregular 
sections, spreading downward, yet around it, should 
be constructed. Or a simpler rockery for an Alpine 
collection may be arranged along the sloping sides of 
a “ gullet’ or small ravine. If the back parts are 
carefully planted up with shrubs and suitable trees, 
this style of rockery is beautiful, befitting and easily 
effected. 
Pergolas — J. Right : When they are uncovered 
with climbers they certainly do look naked aud un¬ 
couth-like for a garden ornament. But do not let 
this disturb you. Proceed with the other you pro¬ 
pose to erect, making sure that the plants you intend 
to use are likely to succeed. 
Alstroemerias .—Hardy Plantsman : Make a sow¬ 
ing in February, placing a few seeds in a 4-inch pot, 
and singling out the seedlings when they appear. 
