314 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 13, 1900 
weather of the next three months be what it may, 
that now the initial stage of germination has been 
overcome, and growth proceeds so satisfactorily, 
that I shall have a fine lot of stout, sturdy seedlings 
to plant out into the open ground at the end of April 
or early in May ; and if the soil then be fairly moist 
the plants will soon get established. 
Border Auriculas, once they are well rooted, are 
very accommodating. They seem to care little for 
heat or for cold, for drought or for rain. This is a 
great recommendation, and such as should cause 
amateur gardeners to grow them freely. There are 
in a batch of seedlings many beautiful things ; and 
if the grower can devote to his flowers some atten¬ 
tion in the matter of selecting and marking the best 
for reproduction, he will in time find that he has for 
himself obtained a beautiful strain. It is less mere 
hue in the flower that may be looked for than stout 
stems holding the trusses of bloom very erect. The 
flowers should be of bright self colours. Those of a 
washy hue might be discarded. 
Where practicable it is a good plan to put out the 
seedling plants into a nursery bed where they can 
bloom the following year, and from such bed select¬ 
ing the best flowered plants, those which give the 
best stems, trusses and colours, and planting these 
out into the flower garden proper, or failing such, 
getting them into pots to flower on window sills, or, 
indeed, anywhere that positions can be found for 
them. Auriculas transplant readily. The best time 
to do that work is after the autumn rains have well 
moistened the soil in [October. Then the plants 
soon become well established for the winter. 
Auricula seed being hard shelled like that of the 
Polyanthus and the Primrose, always germinates 
best when sownjn the autumn, within a couple of 
months of its ripening. When, as in my own case, 
strong seedlings are obtained in that way to stand 
the winter, and plant out in the following spring, the 
plants become so very strong relatively to bloom the 
succeeding year as compared with what results when 
seeds are sown only in spring. Of course, gardeners 
who have plenty of glasshouses or frames and 
warmth can raise seeds of all descriptions in the 
spring with ease ; but after all how few of them grow 
border Auriculas. 
I am thinking rather of the amateur element in 
gardening, and especially those who, like myself, have 
only limited means. These will find seed raising at any 
time greatly helped if they use glass covered boxes, 
stood in a warm place outdoors, as I have done. 
When I told the neighbour who gave me seed that I 
had secured good growth he was delighted, as he 
said others, to whom he had given seed, had not in¬ 
duced it to grow. No doubt the simple secret of 
my success was found in the glass-covered box.— 
D. K. 
KELVINGROVE PARK, GLASGOW. 
This interesting park extends to eighty-five acres, 
and is situated not very far from the Botanic 
Gardens. At the Kelvingrove Street entrance a 
handsome gateway was erected in 1897. Nothing so 
fine is to be seen at any of the entrances to the other 
parks in Glasgow. The ground is beautifully un¬ 
dulated, and the natural features of the place have 
been taken advantage of and improved by the plant¬ 
ing of trees and shrubs by Mr. James Whitton, the 
efficient superintendent. The leading thorough¬ 
fares have been greatly widened, thus relieving the 
congestion of traffic which used to take place in this 
thickly populated neighbourhood. 
Many large beds have been planted with flowering 
and fruiting shrubs of an allied character or of simi 
lar habits of growth. In a group of bamboos we 
noted Arundinaria japonica (Metake), Phyllostachys 
Simoni and P. violascens, all in fine healthy condi¬ 
tion, having thriven well since they were planted 
out in the winter of 1894-95. Other choice flower¬ 
ing subjects that also do well here are Magnolia 
soulangeana, Ligustrum japonicum, Rhus typhina, 
Buddleia globosa, Forsythia suspensa and F. 
viridissima. The Daisy Bush (Olearia Haastii) 
gives so much satisfaction, both for summer and 
winter effects, that it is now being raised by the 
thousand for planting out in the parks. The ever¬ 
green Daphne fioniana commenced expanding its 
purple flowers early last autumn, as a result, 
probably, of the warm summer experienced last 
year. 
A bed is mostly occupied with dwarf European 
Rhododendrons, including the neat habited R. 
ferrugineum,.. Several of the hardy heaths are planted, 
including E. australis and E. vagans, the latter of 
which was still flowering. The Holly-like leaves of 
Osmanthus Aquifolium ilicifolius are smaller than 
those of the type, but for that reason they make the 
plant even more graceful. Amongst berried plants, 
Skimmia japonica and S. Fortunei both do well. 
Ilex Fortunei and I. F. variegata look more like 
Myrtles or Pernettyas than Hollies, but they belong 
to the latter all the same. Berberis Wallichi is 
another dwarf and useful subject, with leathery, 
evergreen leaves and black berries. A group of 
Lord Penzance’s Sweet Briers has met with ap¬ 
preciation here, and naturally enough they succeed 
as well as anywhere. Flowering or ornamental 
Thorns are planted in great variety. The best 
specimen of the London Plane in Glasgow is situated 
in the Kelvingrove Park. Though only of moderate 
height, with a spreading head, the bole is 9 in. in 
diameter. Many more of the species have been 
planted in the park. 
“RETROSPCTIVE AND PROSPECTIVE.” 
Most of us will have heard these words used a 
great deal of late in reference to a question over 
which our country is now engaged in a terrible war ; 
but it is in another connection that I now use them. 
As a rule, I think we young gardeners, with our hopes 
and ambitions, do a great deal more in the matter 
of looking forward than of looking backward, 
as our whole work is really a preparation 
for, may be, next week, next month, or next 
year; but many of us just now will mentally review 
the past year’s work, with its failures and successes ; 
and, shall I venture to hope, have profited as much 
by the former as the latter? Do not think, Mr. 
Editor, I want to sermonise, but, with your per¬ 
mission, I will have a chat with my younger brethren 
of the craft, aEd try to give them a little advice at 
the same time. 
First of all, let me lecommend, to those of them 
who have not hitherto done so, that they keep a 
diary of their work, together with a record of mini¬ 
mum and maximum outside temperatures and the 
rainfall. I have found it of great use to me, as well 
as being interesting to look back over earlier records 
of weather and work. At the same time, too, it 
affords a good comparison as to the forwardness, or 
otherwise, of work generally at the passing time. 
Where not actually engaged in a particular depart¬ 
ment, notes can be obtained from the leading man, 
or, when the evenings are light, a ramble round with 
a notebook will give all the information desired. 
I do not recommend too much reliance on the 
note-book in order to remember names, as it impairs 
one’s memory. I find if I write the name I wish to 
remember once, I can invariably recall it when 
wanted. A good plan, too, is to look up the mean¬ 
ing and derivation of both generic and specific 
names. It is a great aid to one’s memory. 
Watering is another matter to which I ask their 
attention and endeavour to improve in, during the 
coming year. Some may think it a little matter, but 
it is one of the most important in gardening. It is 
irritating to find a plant watered time after time, and 
after each so-called watering, either through 
excessive dryness or insufficient quantity of water, 
the upper half only of the ball has been moistened. 
There is no fixed rule either as to frequency or the 
quantity given, and all the telling in the world will 
be of little use in correcting errors in this direction. 
It is just a matter of "gumption," or, in other 
words, observation and reason combined, and it is in 
these two characteristics that the real gardener 
shows himself. 
Airing and damping are two other little items— 
by-ones sometimes, perhaps—in reference to which I 
again ask them to use " gumption," and to rely more 
on their physical senses, and less on the thermometer 
and hygrometer than they have done in the past. 
Perhaps they can recall the crop of grapes partially, 
if not wholly, spoilt by mildew, which might have 
been traced to indifferent ventilation, or the batch of 
plants spoilt by being scorched, through not being 
aired sufficiently soon. If so, it may make my advice 
doubly potent. 
When one goes round at night and finds, perhaps, 
condensed moisture on the finest Pbalaenopsis leaves 
—a condition, of course, in itself one does not care to 
find—and that on the top of this the duty man has 
given the house another good damping, is it small 
wonder if one feels inclined to use expressions which 
the rector did not employ in his sermon the previous 
Sunday ? A little thought would have saved all 
irritation. 
Many will now be thinking of making a shift into 
other situations, and to them I say, keep your ideal 
before you, and lay yourself out to attain it, and do 
not drift as circumstances may take you. It is a 
great mistake to make. Make up your mind 
definitely as to the kind of situation wanted, and re¬ 
member, we have often to make what may seem a 
step backward in order to move forward. May the 
New Year be a happy one to us all, happy in the 
sense of us being better workmen and better men. 
— G. [Every sentence of the above letter is of value 
to young gardeners Ed.] 
■ggT '■ ' ■ ■ ' — 
DECORATIVE ASPARAGUS. 
At a time when floral arrangements are so rife and 
seemingly on the the increase as regards the occa¬ 
sions for their use, it is necessary that a gardener 
should bestow considerable attention on decorative 
Asparagus culture. Certain are we, tbat no gardener 
is exempt from the need for Asparagus fronds once 
a week, at least. “ In the season ’’ and with certain 
families the daily, let alone the weekly, output is 
very considerable. These facts are well known. Now 
comes the question, What is the best possible man¬ 
ner for obtaining a supply or for growing plants to 
yield the supply, we should say ? So far as can be 
seen, both in market gardens and in the private 
places upon which the heaviest demands fall, the 
system of planting out into narrow borders yields 
the best returns. 
I have in my mind’s eye a splendid stove corridor 
which ran east and west. The north or right hand 
side was represented by a wall from which the three- 
quarter span-house sprung. Adjoining the base of 
the wall on the inside was a border 2J ft. deep and 
about 2 ft. broad. This was used wholly for Aspara¬ 
gus plants. Having cleared out the original soil 
from this border a thorough bottom work of drainage 
was prepared. Over the brickbats, clinkers, and pot¬ 
sherds were placed inverted turves, and then the 
compost followed. This latter addition, as was 
necessary, had been carefully mixed and prepared 
from fresh loam, leaf-mould, charcoal, lime rubble, 
pounded oyster shells, some wood ashes, and a 
liberal quantity of very coarse sand. The crowns of 
the plants were planted a few inches deep, but not 
before time had been given for the consolidation and 
warming of the border. These were made firm and 
well soaked, after which the story may be said virtu¬ 
ally to have ended. 
They did well. Time but added to their success. 
The older they became the better established and 
stronger they grew. Nothing further was done save 
that they had an annual topdressing after the second 
season. During their early tenure of the border the 
strictest precautions were taken to prevent the water 
from lushing over the edge to the path during swill¬ 
ing operations, and it was greatly to such care that 
the plants grew so well. Had the border become 
sour, no doubt one should have had a different tale 
to recite. 
Strings, not green strings, but ordinary gray 
strings, were used for the training up of the shoots 
to the roof, 9 ft. above. For a heavy supply, and 
for facility to cut the whole shoots cleanly out, no 
better practice for Asparagus growing could be 
formulated. Visiting a famous London market nur¬ 
sery, lately, I saw plants there ten years of age 
growing like youngsters of two seasons, and they 
were planted out and always had been. 
If borders are not at command deep boxes can be 
used to act in service for borders, with almost equal 
success. 
The pot culture of decorative Asparagus goes on 
the same lines. A temperature of 6o° at all times, 
and up to roo° in the summer time, with deep shade 
and plenty of moisture at the roots and in the air 
should be maintained in their culture. The varieties 
suitable for border culture are A. plumosus, A. p. 
nanus, and A. tenuissimus. For a cool house border 
use A. falcatus. 
A. Sprengerii seems to prefer a basket, a pan, or a 
pot, and to be suspended 20 ft. in the air ! At least, 
the finest specimen plant I have seen was so high 
and growing in a great basket. The shoots reached 
down 10 ft. or 12 ft., and after flowering they pre¬ 
sented a glorious feature with their berry-bedecked 
stems.— Scottti. 
