828 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 20, 1900. 
f|lNTS FOR ||mATEURS. 
Campanulas.—We have in the quick-growing hardy 
kinds, plants typically useful for the amateur's 
garden. The tall Chimney Bell-flower (C. pyra- 
midalis) and some few others require some careful 
treatment. The common Canterbury Bell also pays 
for any extra watchfulness. Confining attention in 
the meantime to the biennial varieties of the Canter¬ 
bury Bells and the Chimney Bell-flower, the 
following treatment is to their liking. They germin¬ 
ate freely and safely from out-door sowings made in 
April, or from earlier sowings in frames. A gentle 
under-heat is all the more necessary, according as 
earlier sowings take place. It is of no purpose, 
however, to sow before the entry of March, as one 
has to give the plants much needed space when more 
use could be made of it. The plants should be 
pricked out early, to be stout and strong. A light, 
rich soil and thorough drainage is necessary. They 
must never suffer from want of water; disregard of 
this brings to the plants the additional drag of suck¬ 
ing green-flies and red-spider. Whenever the places 
attain to a few inches in height and after their first 
transplanting, about the month of August, those to 
be potted up for spring-flowering may be selected, 
■while those for planting out may be put into rows, 
being placed in their permanent quarters in spring. 
The C. pyramidalis after development, and after 
flowering, only requires the protection of a frame 
during winter and an annual top-dressing. It must 
have steady and varied feeding. Thus we have from 
spring sowing plants fit for potting in August or for 
transplanting, and, in the former case, by careful 
greenhouse treatment through the autumn, winter, 
and early spring months, fine blooming plants 
reward one by the next May. 
Achimenes.—For those who have a warm house 
at command a few tubers of Achimenes can be 
started now. Others may be brought on in succes¬ 
sion. A stove temperature or that prevailing in a 
warm greenhouse must be accorded to them. 5-iu. 
pots and a compost of sandy loam should be given. 
Cannas —For planting out-of-doors in June the 
sowing to furnish plants must be made during this 
present month. Indian Shot is the popular name of 
Cannas, from the fact of the seeds being extremely 
hard and spherical. Before sowing they should be 
be steeped for twelve hours in water. A brisk tem- 
parature is necessary after sowing, but once the 
seedlings are up and doing well a more moderate 
heat is to their liking. They will require one or two 
shifts, using a rich and solid compost, whence they 
will be fit for the subtropical garden in June. 
Petunias.—As each spring or early summer comes 
round, and we visit gardens wherein are Petun'as 
arranged in the houses, do we not just wish we had 
thought of a sowing in time? Prepare them, and 
any time now the indoor batch may be sown. Use 
pans and fill these with porous soil, placing them in 
a shady, close part of a house with a tempera'ure of 
6o° at least. The seeds should merely be covered 
with fine soil. Allow a period of five weeks for 
the germination and growth of the seedlings ; by that 
time they should be large enough to transfer into 
small pots. Care is demanded in the watering at 
this time, and in airing and regulating of the tem¬ 
perature. They must not suffer draughts, and from 
now a temperature of just over 50° should be main¬ 
tained. 
Subsequent pottings will be regulated by the ad¬ 
vance of growth. All Petunias are impatient of 
being potbound, particularly the double varieties. 
At each shift the soil should be somewhat warmed, 
and the plants placed for about ten days in a warmer 
house and kept close. Five-inch pots are usually 
quite large enough for them. Drainage at all times 
should be thoroughly good. When the plants are 
about half a foot high they should be pinched, and 
as they grow they must repeatedly be kept bushy. 
For early flowering they must, of course, be allowed 
to grow ahead without pinching for some time pre¬ 
vious to coming into bloom. 
Antirrhinums.—An early sowing can now be made 
in pans, and these placed in a warm house. When 
the seedlings are fit for transplanting they should be 
transferred to a frame, and about the month of 
April they may be planted out to sheltered beds or 
borders. Antirrhinums are, all the same, perfectly 
hardy, as is proved by the numbers of self-sown 
seedlings, which stand out all winter. What these 
handsome summer flowering plants specially enjoy 
is a warm, sunny position in sandy soil. If the soil 
be rich as well as sandy so much the better. When 
really meritorious varieties originate they should 
afterwards be propagated by cuttings, as otherwise 
they cannot always be relied upon to come true. A 
dwarf, pure white variety, and a deep glowing crim¬ 
son, when planted in lines in borders, give a capital 
contrast, and are specially desirable from the fact 
of their colours. There are two secticns of the 
Antirrhinum, the major and the minor. Plants of 
the former division attain sometimes seven or more 
feet in height. These flower for a long period, be¬ 
ginning at the bottom of the raceme and continuing 
upward. 
Margaerites or Paris Daisies. —The Paris 
Daisies are typically useful amateurs’ plants. They 
are easily grown from cuttings, which are more or 
less often taken in September, and kept slowly ad¬ 
vancing through the winter. But cuttings, if they 
can be got, may at any time be put in. Pot plants 
yield cuttings in early spring, and these, if grown on, 
furnish flowering plants for the following winter. 
After making the cuttings cleanly and well, put them 
into small pots firmly and well down. A gentle heat 
may or may not be used. Personally, I think it ad¬ 
visable. They require some amount of care as to 
watering, both in the early and later stages. A rich 
soil coasiiting of two parts of good fibrous loam and 
one of Mushroom-bed manure, with some soot and 
sand, may be made up. Pot firmly, always having 
large plants in comparison with the pots used. 
When the plants have reached 4 in or 5 iu. in height 
pinch the leading shoots, and do likewise with the 
side shoots when they extend outward to about 5 in. 
Feed with artificial and other manures whenever the 
plants show signs of needing such a stimulus. Dur¬ 
ing the summer they may be grown either in frames 
or out of doors. The Composite Leaf-miner, which 
so disfigures the leaves of the Paris Daisies (Chrys¬ 
anthemum frutescens), is difficult to suppress. 
The female shows herself about the middle of 
February, so that from this period it is well to per¬ 
sistently spray the foliage with a paraffin and soft 
soap solution. Dusting the leaves with soot and 
lime also acts in the measure of a preventive. On 
the first signs of a-larva within the leaf crush it be¬ 
tween the fingers. Spraying with tobacco water is 
also a preventive, and does not soil the foliage. 
Cinerarias. —Plants in bloom whose roots are 
now sorely cramped, and which find a difficulty in 
getting the supply of nourishment, should have weak 
supplies of liquid manure given to them. This 
heightens the colour and brilliance of the blooms, 
and causes them to last longer as well. Any suckers 
from the base should be taken clean away. A cool 
room or greenhouse suits them ; heat soon causes 
them to wither. 
Window Plants.—The notes already given refer¬ 
ring to careful watering, and not to use very cold 
water, the removal of decaying flowers and leaves, 
and the prevention of draughts from the window 
need only be re-called here. Potting or top-dressing 
of various soft-wooded plants may soon be done. 
Present Work. —Fruit houses not pre\iously put 
in order should be seen to and got straight without 
delay. After the month of January the amateur and 
the professional gardener both find their hands kept 
busily employed. The trees in the Peachery should 
be washed with any of the advertised compounds for 
washes, and the main branches may afterwards be 
painted with a home-made preparation of soot, 
sulphur, dissolved soft soap, clay, and cow dung, 
made of the consistency of paint by the use of water. 
Many condemn the painting of the trees, just as 
others censure the scraping of Vine rods. There 
seems to be no harm from the process, however, and 
there is no question but that pests are destroyed by 
the practice. Indoor borders of mid-season fruit 
houses may yet be renewed. Vineries when 
" started ” should merely be kept closed, and without 
heat. The surface of the borders and paths ought to 
be slightly damped. By and bye heat may be 
applied, and should gradually be raised, according as 
the season advances. Active preparations are now 
in progress for the renewing of indoor plant borders, 
and for top-dressing and potting stove plants. Soil 
should be collected, mixed, and warmed. Warm 
plant houses may be well damped down twice a day. 
Ventilate the greenhouse on all occasions of mild 
weather. Allow the plants plenty of room, and shift 
them about, so as to develop evenly balanced plants. 
— Beacon. 
--— 
Correspondence. 
Questions ashed by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
A nyone 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. 
Propagation of Herbs.— Stanley-IVatts: Lavender 
(Lavendulaspica), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), 
Sage (Salvia officinalis), Tarragon (Artemisia Dra- 
cunculus), and the Lemon Thyme (Thymus citrio- 
dorus) and Marjoram (Origanum Marjorana) are 
readily propagated from cuttings, slips, sometimes 
division as in Thyme, and by layering. But given a 
porous soil and a warm, sheltered border, or a frame, 
any of them propagate by cuttings of half firmed 
wood in August. Mint is increased by division. 
Seeds of any of the above may be sown in the open 
from April till June. The following are also included 
among herbs, and may be raised annually from a 
spring sowing Sweet Basil and Basil bush, Hore- 
hound, Fennel, Chervil, Rue, Angelica, Borage, 
Balm (by cuttings), Savory, and Tansy. 
Planting Honeysuckles —A. S. G. : All the Loni- 
ceras, as the Honeysuckles are called, are of easy 
growth, being propagated by cuttings, layers, or 
seeds. L. fragrantissiraa and L. Standishii are two 
very odorous varieties which flower in early spiing. 
They force in gentle heat. Do not prune these until 
after flowering, when you may cut them back rather 
close. Secure plants, if possible, with good balls 
and plant during mild weather, mulching the surface 
soil. L. sempervirens is suitable for indoors. 
Pot Auriculas.— A. E. C., Bristol : We advise you 
to wait until next month, when you may topdress 
your plants with some rich material. Loosen a 
goodly quantity of the top soil, but be careful with 
the roots. In June or July you may repot them, 
placing them then in a frame facing north. It would 
certainly be to the advantage of the plants to have 
the benefits of a cool house at the present time. 
Shade and a slightly moist condition of the atmos¬ 
phere is to their liking in spring when in full growth. 
They enjoy a liberal supply of water at that time. 
Fragrant Flowers for Outdoors— Critique-. Many 
beautiful flowers are more or less scentless, others 
are too strongly aromatic. The following are 
pleasantly odorous and may suit you :—Sweet Peas, 
Mignonette, Clove Carnations, Wallflower, Stocks, 
Lily of the Valley, Violets, Primrose beds and 
Auriculas, Hyacinths, Heliotropes, Alstroemerias, 
Paeonies, Pansies, Phloxes, Pinks, Tropaeolums, 
Roses, &c., See. These, especially when in masses, 
are all more or less conspicuously and pleasantly 
fragrant. 
Primula Sieboldi. — D. : Of the Japanese Prim¬ 
roses there are very many fine varieties. For a 
selection you might commence with the following :— 
Grandiflora, creamy-white and rose; Vivid, very 
bright magenta; Bruce Findlay, blue; Delicata, 
lilac ; Queen of Whites, one of the best white sorts; 
Laciniata, reddish-crimson, and fringed ; Alba Mag- 
nifica, pure white; and Magenta Queen, bright 
magenta. 
Increasing Gladioli Corms. — Alex. Johnson-. So 
successful have we been with corms, which we split 
up, that we might go so far as to say they do better 
that way than whole. If a clean cut with a sharp 
knife is made exactly between the eyes or buds, and 
the half corms then planted about 4 in. deep in a 
rich, sandy bed, there is reason to hope for the best 
results. A warm sheltered position does a lot for the 
production of handsome spikes. Plant in March. 
The halving system is recommendable where the 
finer varieties are wished to be speedily increased. 
Moss on Fruit Teees — G. F. D., Stoiv : Moss and 
Lichens are all too common on Orchard trees. 
Planters at the present time are using more precau¬ 
tions at the time of planting, preparing the soil more 
thoroughly, draining more adequately, and altogether 
