890 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
February|17, 1900. 
Syringing young tree and Malmaison Carnations 
with sooty water does not improve their beauty, but 
it has been found very effective in preventing Carna¬ 
tion-leaf disease. 
Two New Grasses in the Channel Islands.—At a 
meeting of the Linnean Society on the ist inst., Mr. 
Cecil R. P. Andrews, M.A., exhibited two non- 
British grasses which he had found last year in the 
Channel Islands— Phalaris minor, Retz., from sandy 
shores and fields in Guernsey and Alderney, and 
Milium scabrum, Merl., from the cliffs of Guernsey. 
He maintained that they were both native plants, as 
the former is indigenous on the west coast of France 
and on the north coast as far as Cherbourg and 
Barffeur, while the latter is a native of West France 
as far north as Vendee, and reappears on the coast 
of the Netherlands. He suggested that the former 
had been passed over owing to its resemblance to 
P. canariensis ; the latter owing to its inconspicuous 
habit, its early flowering, and the fact that it grows 
on the lower slopes of the cliffs in an unfrequented 
part of the island. A discussion followed in which 
Messrs. James Groves and G. C. Druce joined, and 
Mr. Andrews replied. 
Sutton's Farmers’ Year Book.—Breeders of 
cattle know the value of a pedigree, and growers of 
roots appreciate the importance of securing crops 
from pedigree stocks. Among the keen competi¬ 
tions of the past year for acreage crops and pulled 
rcois, scarcely an instance can be named where a 
prize has been won with roots of an unknown stock. 
Tne fact is that great weight per acre, high feeding 
quality, aod freedom trom fangs, can only be 
obtained by continuous selection of the finest types 
of roots during a long term of years. A verv lucid 
exposition of this principle is given in “ Sution’s 
Farmers' Year Book ” for the current season. The 
illustrations and the text show what a first-class firm 
can do to promote tbe interests of individual farmers 
and the general prosperity of agriculturists. A well- 
grown pedigree stock not only yields a heavy crop 
of shapely and nutritious roots, but it is economical 
in the cost of lifting and cleaning. For this feature 
alone the work referred to is worth the attention of 
all who are engaged in cultivating land, and there is 
a natural fitues= in the feeding of pedigree cattle 
with roots and fodder possesffig the highest nutritive 
qualities. But apart from this the “ Farm Annual ” 
of M-ssrs Sutton & Sons must, to tbe agriculturist, 
be full of interest. Photographs of remarkable field 
crops, groups of extraordinary roots, and reports 
from successiul competitors of crops which won the 
leading prizes of the last year cannot fail to arrest 
attention. So long as the present conditions of 
farming prevail the increase in grass land will con¬ 
tinue. and in this branch of agriculture the great 
Reading house has rendered signal service in 
popularising knowledge concerning Grasses and 
Clovers. All the varieties of real value to the 
farmer are described in plain terms, and the majority 
are beautifully illustrated. An excellent farmers’ 
calendar and a number of serviceable tables com¬ 
plete the usefulness of a work which meets the special 
requirements of farmers. A copy may be obtained 
on application to the publishers, Sutton & Sons, 
Reading. 
HARDY NYMPHAE&S. 
I am obliged to your correspondent, " Competitor,” 
in your last issue, p. 381, for the compliment he has 
paid me respecting my short article on " Hardy 
Nymphaeas,” and with your kind permission, Mr. 
Editor, I should like to make a short reply on his 
friendly criticism. I notice he considers 3 ft. of 
water too much for any of the hybrid Water Lilies. 
My article was based entirely on the mode of 
treatment which they receive here, and appears to 
answer most satisfactorily. The whole of them, 
except the pygmaea varieties, are growing in the 
depth I stated ; those last mentioned certainly will 
do better in 18 in. to 2 ft. Owing to the limited 
number of words to which I was confined in order to 
make my article eligible for the competition, I could 
notenter largely into details. I may mention that 
we have N. alba and N. a. plenissima growing to 
perfection in 5 ft. of t water.— A. Thatcher, Aldcnham, 
Herts. 
WALLFLOWER UNDER GLASS. 
An easy method of having double German Wallflower 
for conservatory decoration, in the month of Febru¬ 
ary, is to sow the seeds thinly in a box at the begin 
ning of August, and place them outside in a slightly 
shaded position, until germinated. Afterwards take 
it to the frame ground, so as to come more under 
notice for watering, when needful. Allow it to re¬ 
main there . until November, then lift it inside a 
frame, to afford protection during the winter. In 
the following spring shift the seedlings to an outside 
border, planting them in rows, 18 in. apart each way. 
After they become established, if any show signs of 
flowering, the flower buds can be pinched out, leav. 
ing the plants to grow undisturbed until autumn- 
By that time they will have become nice bushy 
plants, with eight to ten shoots each. At the end of 
October or beginning of November, they will have 
commenced forming flowers, which is a good time to 
lift and pot. The plants should begot up with large 
balls of soil, potting them into 8-in. pots, then taking 
them to a cool greenhouse, and given a good water¬ 
ing, overhead as well. They may remain there until 
the flowers begin to open, when they should be 
placed in the conservatory, in which they soon be¬ 
come showy plants, the flower heads being of various 
colours, and having a sweet perfume. They last 
quite as long as the general run of flowering plants 
at this season.— R. B. Mansefield, N.B. 
— - » «■ »- —- 
IRIS KAEMPFERI. 
Of all the species of Iris now in cultivation, this is 
without doubt the most charming. It was intro¬ 
duced from Japan in 1857, an d during the last few 
years the varieties have been greatly improved. 
Not even the most beautiful Orchid can outrival 
them. The varieties and colours are numerous, 
from pure white to dark purple. They succeed fairly 
well in the heroaceous border, or doited about in 
the shrubberies. Indeed almost any part or position 
in the garden, but, unquestionably, the most suitable 
and natural place is on the margins of a lake, pond 
or stream. Holes 18 in. in diameter, and 1 ft. deep 
should be taken out and filled in with three parts 
good fibrous loam and one part peat or well-rotted 
leaf mould, into which the crowns should be planted 
early in April, when they will be found to grow away 
rapidly, increase yearly, and in this position they 
will continue to flower freely throughout the summer 
and autumn. An annual topdressing of the compost 
advised for planting is all the attention, except keep¬ 
ing clear from weeds, that they will require. These 
are equally valuable for cutting purposes and when 
cut with long stems and arranged with their natural 
foliage in large vases, are very pleasing and effective. 
One of the prettiest fireplaces I have ever seen 
decorated for a ball-room was with these, intermixed 
with foliage of the common Bulrush.— A. Thatcher, 
Aldenham, Elstree, Herts. 
- efr, --- 
COLEUS. 
These are capital plants for the decoration of the 
greenhouse or conservatory during the summer 
months, and, though properly belonging to the stove, 
after about the middle of June onwards, will succeed 
without any artificial warmth until September is on 
the wane. They are rather difficult things to 
preserve through the winter; but if a place on a 
light shelf in a house, the temperature of which never 
falls below 6o°, can be afforded, they usually come 
through all right, ,and a single plant will afford scores 
of hundreds of cuttings in the spring. Those who 
are unable to keep them can always purchase young 
plants in the spring very cheaply, and with plenty of 
warmth and moisture they grow really like weeds. 
We always stop them once while in small pots, 
utilising the tops for cuttings, if required, and when 
they break again shift them into 5-in. or 6-in. size, 
potting them rather firmly in rather rough loam and 
leafsoil, with a little coarse sand. Placed on a shelf 
near the glass in a light house or pit, and lightly 
shaded, they grow rapidly, and soon form bushy 
examples, with from four to eight shoots. Some 
really fine and distinct varieties are Ada Sentance, 
Mrs. Steddall, Sir G. Wolseley, Resplendent, 
Marquise de Nadaillac, J. L Toole, Mrs. K. 
Hugessen, and Choulex. The colours and marking 
of the foliage of the various kinds it is almost im¬ 
possible to describe.— H. J. Hughes, Ash Wood, Whit¬ 
church, Salop. 
POT VINES AS DECORATIVE PLANTS. 
Small Vines, grown in pots and carrying several 
bunches of ripe Grapes, form very pretty and appro¬ 
priate plants for the decoration of the rooms in the 
mansion. To obtain these, suitably placed shoots 
should be left on the old Vines when the winter 
pruning is done. Just before the Vines are started 
take these canes through the bottom of a 7 in. or 8 in, 
pot to the desired length, fix the pot on a shelf if 
convenient or on a stand of some sort, and after fill¬ 
ing the pot with a suitable compost, which should 
be made firm, fix a wire framework on which to train 
the shoots as they grow. When the buds break rub 
off all those below the pot, aod stop those above at 
the first joint past the bunch, or bunches; but the 
stopping and tying of these will be regulated to a 
great extent by the size and form of the plant 
desired. The cane will root freely into the soil, but 
constant attention must be given to watering as the 
pot gets full of roots. When the Grapes are ripe the 
cane should be cut from the parent Vine just below 
the pot, by degrees, and in a few days the young 
Vine will be ready for the room. In order to give a 
better finish to the plant, some Selaginella may be 
planted on the surface of the soil about two months 
before the Grapes ripen.— R. Bullen, The Gardens, 
Kilhey Court, Worthington, near Wigan. 
PLANTS UNDER GLASS- 
Stoking. —The proper upkeeping of heat in the 
warmer houses requires the critical attention of the 
stoker in these days of constant change. Keep the 
fires brisk and clean at all times. It costs more 
coals and work to raise fallen temperatures (especially 
when winds are blowing) than the constant glow of 
steady fires demand. To check the fires when the 
sun breaks through, ashes or “ slack" may be 
banked over the live coal. In restarting them, 
which should be done before the sun goes off, give 
them a proper raking out and full draught. Check 
this in about half an hour. 
Damping-down in the ferneries, Cattleya houses 
and warm stoves should be done, both on stages and 
paths, night and morning, night signifying late in the 
afternoon. 
Propagation and Potting. —The propagation of 
Crotons, Dracaenas, Aralias, Acalyphas and many 
other stove plants should be undertaken now. The 
plan thrown out in a hint by Mr. J. Mayne, of root¬ 
ing cuttings in bottles of water, may prove handy to 
some. I prefer to use up all my small pots and pans 
and the space they may occupy before I try bottling. 
Nearly all the pits are requisitioned for one thing or 
another. Pieces of the fat Dracaena roots, cut in 
lengths and plunged among fibre along the sides of 
the cases strike root and also throw up shoots freely, 
after which they may be potted up. Begonias and 
other plants, which are propagated from the leaf, 
need only be fastened in at the base among the warm 
moist fibre. They soon throw out roots. 
To make the fibre go further, I have used along 
with it a quantity of clean sawdust. Sawdust used 
alone is quite satisfactory enough for many plants, 
but it has to be renewed once in every two years at 
least. When kept moist and warm in such a body 
it soon decomposes and becomes mouldy upon the 
surface. Ixoras, Gardenias and other very popular 
flctwering stove shrubs may likewise be rooted from 
nicely chosen cuttings. The old plants of Ixoras 
which were pruned hard back at an earlier date are 
now breaking. Watch that the young shoots do not 
become crippled from insect attack. YouDg plants 
must not in any way whatever receive a check. Pot 
them firmly in a nice peat and loam compost, give 
the supply of water regularly, and be watchful to 
allow the developing shoots enough room. Abutilon 
Swarlzii, which was specially referred to last 
summer in this paper, is another very ornamental 
stove plant. It possesses brightly variegated foliage. 
Members of the Palm tribe which really require a 
shift may now be potted. Thrinax, Kentias, Cocos, 
Arecas, Latanias and other graceful Palms should 
always be kept up in a young stage. Large plants 
are often necessary for heavy decorations, otherwise 
where house room is valuable, it is best to try and 
dispose of the very large plants in favour of smaller 
ones. Alocasias must now be seen to. A potting 
mixture should contain peat of a fibrous nature, 
