February 10, 1900, 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
375 
bottom of the raft, and also to build the outside of 
the mound, keeping the fine in the middle. The 
plant or plants should be placed in position and the 
soil made moderately firm. Acrostichum scandens 
produces abundant, healthy, green, sterile fronds, 
from 4 ft. to 5 ft. high, and occasionally throwing a 
fertile frond, covered with sporangia. The mound 
of soil should be rather flat for this species, as the 
creeping rhizomes rapidly cover the raft. Davallia 
hirta cristata is a very graceful species. The long 
drooping fronds are also 4 ft. or 5 ft, long. Nephro- 
dium Sloanei, Polypodium irioides, and Polypodium 
Heracleum are varied in appearance. Nephrolepis 
rufescens tripinnatifida should have conical mounds 
of soil, and should, if a large plant, be divided and 
planted all over the mound in rather small pieces. 
A temperature of 6o° to 65° should be maintained, 
and should any soil be visible and look unsightly 
plant Selaginella kraussiana, or the walking Fern, 
Fadyenia prolifera. — C. P. Cretchley, The Honeys, 
Twyford, Berks, Jan. 30 th, 1900 . 
— - 
CELERY FLY. 
Everyone that takes a delight in his garden knows 
all there is to be told about the raising, pricking off, 
planting out in trenches, and earthing up of his 
Celery ; but it is not everyone that can tell you how 
to effectually defeat the aims and objects of the 
Celery fly (Tephritis Onopordinis). There is 
nothing with which to fix the date of its first appear¬ 
ance, as so much depends on the season. Generally 
speaking, however, it emerges from the chrysalis 
state early in May, and at once begins to deposit the 
eggs on the leaves of the young Celery plants, and if 
left alone will soon do a lot of harm. As they hatch 
at intervals during May, June and July, or even 
later, whatever remedy is applied should be 
persevered in. Here is a remedy as simple as it is 
effective: as soon as there is the slightest signs of 
their work, dust the plants over, either late at night 
or in early morning, with ordinary flour. This 
should be repeated as it becomes washed off by 
showers during the months of May, June and July, 
and again in autumn should they again attack the 
plants. Whether it is the colour that keeps them 
off or what I know not, but it does so.— 5 . Cooke, 
Rosefield Gardens, Sevenoaks. 
-- 1 - 
POPULAR BULBOUS-ROOTED PLANTS. 
The under-mentioned subjects are magnificent free- 
flowering, bulbous-rooted plants, admirably adapted 
for open-air culture. Chionodoxa Luciliae (Glory of 
the Snow) is a comparatively recent introduction 
from Syria, of great popularity, and is one of the 
prettiest spring flowering plants extant. It will suc¬ 
ceed in almost any ordinary garden soil, and delights 
in a warm sunny situation. Montbretias are a mag¬ 
nificent group of plants, resembling miniature 
Gladioli, and are admirably adapted for cuiting pur¬ 
poses. A few clumps ol the choicest named varieties 
are remarkably effective in the herbaceous borders. 
They revel in a rich, moist soil and sunny situation. 
The Fritillaries are an interesting family of plants, 
comprising several species which contain numerous 
varieties. The varieties of the Meleagris type are 
perhaps the most extensively cultivated, and the 
handsome chequered markings peculiar to the Fritil¬ 
laries are probably more pronounced in them than 
in any of the others. Irises (Xiphions) are a magni¬ 
ficent group of Orchid-like flowering plants. The 
genus comprises many species, but it is to the bulb¬ 
ous rooted section that I refer; and the peculiar 
shades of colour found in the Spanish variety 
particularly render them exceedingly popular. The 
Gladiolus is the largest genus in the Iris family, and 
comprises nearly 100 species, which contain some 
thousands of named varieties, so, therefore, to make 
a selection would be a difficult matter indeed ; but 
the choicest named hybrid varieties of the Lemoinei 
and Gandavensis sections are truly magnificent.— 
John Peebles, Craigisla House, N.B. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Pruning of Deciduous Shrubs is occupying a few 
hands at the present, and will do so during the good 
weather which is to follow. I merely refer to the 
subject here as it has been singularly beaten upon 
lately in these pages. So long as favourable weather 
exists, trees and decorative shrubs may still be 
planted. A collection of evergreen and flowering 
shrubs suitable for the outer edges of the flower 
garden area, or as centre pieces to the beds, and for 
placing at the angles wherever these occur, should 
include dwarf Box plants, variegated and evergreen ; 
the various bushy types of Euonymus, E radicans 
variegata, E. japonicus, Cupressus lawsoniana 
erecta-viridis, C. 1 . lutea, C. 1 . macnabiana, and 
others ; Retinosporas such as R. plumosa, R. filifera, 
R. pisifera, Cryptomeria elegans, C. e. Veitchii, and 
Taxus baccata fastigiata, and the golden and 
silver forms of these, together with other neat grow¬ 
ing plants may all be chosen. 
Standard Roses. —A selection of suitable variet¬ 
ies of these may embrace Mrs. John Laing, Alfred 
K. Williams, Baroness Rothschild, Captain Christy, 
Crown Prince, Mdme. Victor Verdier, Gustave 
Piganeau, La France, Charles Lefebvre, Duke of 
Edinburgh, John Hopper, and others. Standard 
Roses might be more frequently used. 
Levelling Lawns, &c. —Work in this direction is 
brisk at present. There are very few gardens in 
which this work does not enter as a yearly item. 
Edges get broken down or the grass—where edges 
are of grass—dies out, necessitating renewal. Born- 
ing and levelling rods are required, and these, with 
a hammer, some wooden pins, a rake and a spade 
will furnish the needful in the operations of levelling. 
Begin from some central point of the lawn, or flower 
garden that is to be done. Even the naked eye can 
fully enough detect uneven lawns. Having decided 
that a certain area is all in need of attention, care¬ 
fully lift the turf. Cut it in lengths of about 8 ft- 
to 10 ft., and in breadths from 12 in. to 15 in. or 
more. Lay the line out so as to be guided in straight 
cutting and use the edging iron. Roll up the turf 
into bundles, cutting the base as evenly and level 
as possible. Two inches depth is quite enough. 
Then, having cleared an area, proceed to take the 
proper levels. Choose a central or suitable point 
from which to judge, and make the levels from this 
point outwards on all sides. Care and thought 
should be given to fix the sighting point high enough 
to litt the general level up to the adjoining path, or 
drive, if these are present. Otherwise circum¬ 
stances must needs dominate the case. Three men 
will be required to operate together. Two of the 
horning rods should be exactly of the same height, 
and the sighting one may be an inch taller than the 
others. Generally the sighting rod has a small 
circular hole bored through it exactly in the centre 
of the cross bar which is fixed at right angles to the 
rod, the hole being 1 in. from top. Three, or three 
and a half feet, rods are tall enough. 
The sighting rod is placed at one end of the 
ground to be levelled, another rod being fixed at ihe 
other end, the two being sometimes 20 yds. apart. 
Stakes and short pins should now be distributed in 
a very straight line between the two rods. The 
third rod now comes into use. By sighting over or 
through the hole of the sighting rod the middle rod 
is raised up or lowered so that the top bar comes in 
line with the tops of the other two. Tbe small pegs 
already referred to should have a level head and the 
base of the rod should, of course, likewise be level. 
By knocking down or pulling up these pegs the exact 
level, according to the sighting rod, is found. Short 
distances, not more than 8 ft. or 10 ft. at a time 
(if the work is to be particularly performed), should 
be taken between the pegs. So after having found 
the first level, go on to the next pin, the man with 
the central rod alone requiring to shift, and so on up 
to the other end. Then the ground in the exactly 
opposite direction can be done in the same way, 
afterwards doing the cross directions. From the cen¬ 
tral position, when the pegs have all been sighted 
upon, the ground all around will present a mapped 
out and marked off appearance. 
It only now remains to loosen all the surface, 
taking material from the high ground to the lower 
portions, and if need be (generally required) new 
soil may be dressed over in addition. Long rods 
or lines may be stretched between the pegs to secure 
accurate levelling. In cases of great irregularity the 
highest ground may be taken as a starting point for 
the homing rods, and the desired level may be found 
by measuring to the ground .line, or line of level at 
which the surface is desired to run, fixing a peg or 
stake at this level and so obtain an even surface. 
The surface must be beaten or trodden firmly and 
levelled by raking and rolling. Finely riddled cinders 
are usually dressed over the prepared surface, 
previous to replacing the turf which was lifted. If 
the turf was bad, that of better quantity should be 
got.— J.H.D. 
PLANTS UNDER GLASS. 
The Stove. 
Aphelandras.— Knowing how very appreciable 
for winter display any brightly flowering stove plant 
is, the A. aurantiaca and its varieties, besides other 
species of the genus, might be just a trifle more 
frequently taken in hand. They are not the most 
tractable subjects to take in hand, yet these are just 
the plants which worthy gardeners mostly care to 
make a specimen from. The foliage of A. aurantiaca, 
which is a very fine member, is broadly ovate i 
drooping down around the surface of the pot. In 
the brilliant crimson flowered variety, A. a. Roezlii, 
the foliage is quite glaucous, while the stout but 
short spike stands erect above them. Dwarf plants 
can be got from cuttings, and nicely flowered in 
4-in. and 5-in pots. 
For the edge of the stove stages, or in massed 
groups at intervals along the same, these Aphelan¬ 
dras are very much to be recommended. After 
blooming them, somewhat dry them off, placing them 
into a cooler house, and finish up by cutting them 
hard back Cuttings of the young shoots from old 
plants can be struck in the strong bottom heat of a 
propagating case. In all cases, much care should be 
taken in the shifting-on, keeping near the glass for 
dwarfness (when raising young plants), and in water¬ 
ing them. They are apt to lose their leaves, with¬ 
out which they are mere bare sticks. A good loam 
and peat compost answers their needs. 
Mimosa pudica or Sensitive Plant.— This 
Mimosa exhibits in a fine degree, sensitiveness, or 
irritability in plants. There is no call for me to 
describe this pretty bright green pinnate-leaved 
plant, with little peachy flower-heads, but I would 
throw out the hint not to rush the plants upward too 
strongly, nor allow them to become so drawn as 
some do. Seeds may be sown in pans now, these 
being plunged among fibre in a warm case. 
Monstera deliciosa.— Readers of these notes 
may be concluding that I am ferreting out a list of 
peculiar or “prepossessing” plants. The above, 
though a very strong growing plant, can yet be con¬ 
fined to a very restricted corner. Indeed, we grow 
it quite in a corner against the wall, and at the back 
of a door in a warm corridor. The perforated foliage, 
the aerial or adventitious roots, and the delicious 
Pine-flavoured (or mixture of flavours) fruit spikes, 
all combine to give merit and distinction The fruits 
are much appreciated. Plant strong suckers or 
rooted cuttings in strong, deep and rich soil. It likes 
plenty of moisture. 
Gloriosa Superba.— This handsome stove flower¬ 
ing climber, a bulbous plant to boot, may now be 
potted up and started in a brisk heat, 70° F. being 
none too much. During its summer growth, a 
Croton house, with a temperature ranging often 
between 8o° and ioo°, and a moisture laden atmo 
sphere and good feeding, are factors greatly in its 
favour. A rich, porous, loamy compost suits it. Pot 
i£ in. deep, harming or loosening the brittle roots as 
little as you can. Water with tepid water. Seeds 
and offsets for propagating the Gloriosa should at 
once be prepared and started. 
Pits, Scc. 
Cyclamens are now into the 3-in. and 4-in. pots. 
We still keep them in a house, ranging in tempera¬ 
ture between 55 0 and 6o°. Always be exact, careful, 
and timely in watering. 
Primulas. —These, of course, are now in full 
bloom in the show houses and rooms. It is interest¬ 
ing in passing to point out how quickly new forms 
and types are arising from the efforts of the cross¬ 
breeders and selectors. We have the old type, 
P. sinensis, then there is the longer stalked Star 
Primulas, of which Sutton’s Star Primula, The 
Lady, and Lady E. Dyke, are types, the latter more 
spreading, greener in leaf and stalk, flatter and whiter 
in flower, but otherwise having much of the grace of 
The Lady. Messrs. Cannell have also addel 
" Kentish Beauty ” as a new type. It has the tall 
petioles of the star strain, and the large flower 
trusses and individual blooms of P. sinensis. Then 
there are some doubles of lavender colour, and Fern¬ 
leaved Primulas, all under development.— J.H.D. 
