March 3, 1900. 
THE gardening world. 
428 
time as they are hardy enough to be placed out in 
the open air. 
Forced Roses. —It is hardly necessary to say that 
the airing of the Rose houses during this very change¬ 
able period requires some experience and patience. 
As previously stated, whenever mildew shows itself 
upon a leaf, warm soft soapy water and a sponge 
should be at once secured, and the spot of fungus 
wiped cleanly off. The surface soil of the borders, or 
pots if they are grown thus, will be found all the 
better for an occasional stirring. The paths and 
borders (or stages in the case of pots) should be 
damped down once a day with weak liquid manure. 
If there are evaporating troughs in the house I advise 
these also to be kept full. We are told that leaves 
and stems do not assimilate nitrogen from the air, 
but I have the opinion that whether it has really 
been discovered or not, they certainly benefit from 
the presence of what must be termed feeding ele¬ 
ments in the atmosphere, Rub out one or more 
shoots from those branches which are bearing too 
many from one point. Rose cuttings in frames may be 
looked over,setting them back a little wider apart than 
before. It is hardly likely that they will require a 
shift. 
Pelargoniums which were taken as cuttiDgs at 
New Year time should now need a shift into 4 in. 
pots. A rich, open soil is what they delight in, and 
a place upon a shelf should be given. So soon as 
the old plants which are now supplying blooms are on 
the decline and not wanted for any further display, 
prune off all the flowers and dry the plants off for a 
while. When the wood is as firm and ripe as need 
be take the cuttings and strike them in small pots. 
These, as well as those in the 4-in. pots at the pres¬ 
ent time, will be grown on through the summer for 
the autumn and winter supply of this year and 
next. 
Fuchsias. —A batch of ycuDg plants of this popu¬ 
lar plant should at this time be in 5 in. pots, and 
coming on steadily, being placed on a Fig or Peach 
house shelf. Staking and pinching are the chief 
works to attend to at this time. 
Miscellaneous.- Give weak stimulants to Clivias 
(Imantophyllums) showing flower. Pot up Chrysan¬ 
themums from the cutting boxes. Prick off young 
Begonia and Gloxinia seedlings. Prune and arrange 
greenhouse climbers. 
The Stove 
Potting and propagating are still the principal 
operations indoors. SpoDging has also to be 
seeD to. 
Gloxinias. —Other batches of these may be shaken 
out and started. Older plants now progressing 
favourably should be let alone. Be very careful 
in the watering of freshly potted plants. A heap of 
harm is done by over watering newly potted plants. 
The soil becomes soured long before the roots 
ramify in it, and use its goodness. 
Begonia Gloire de Lorraine should now be 
propagated in quantity. Leaves put in some time 
ago are now beginning to form little eyes at the base 
of the close cut petiole. A box or bed should be 
filled almost with pure sand, which must be kept 
nicely moist. A slight bottom heat, and not too 
damp an atmosphere, is what will be found most 
suitable to the leaf cuttiDgs. The base of the leaf 
(the leaf having its stalk removed) should be slightly 
pressed to the sand with the fingers, but do not break 
the veins. A slender hooked pin should now be 
pressed through the leaf almost at the base, and the 
rest of the blade folded back against sand. Thus 
with care nice little plants shall accrue.— J. H. D. 
-— -- 
KitcHen Garden Calendar. 
Onions. —In many gardens this is an important 
crop and one that tests the skill of the cultivator as 
much as any on poor, light soil; but if proper 
attention has been paid to digging and preparing the 
land, there is no reason why satisfactory results 
should not be obtained, and a good crop of fine 
bulbs secured. We have grown excellent crops 
both on light, sandy soil and strong, heavy loam, 
though on the former more attention is needed 
during the early stages ; for until the roots have 
penetrated deep enough to take hold of the manure 
the growth does not seem to make much headway. 
On light ground the seed should be got in as early 
as possible. We have sometimes sown in February, 
but it is not often that the soil can be got into work¬ 
ing order thus early in the season, so that the month 
of March is a more suitable time. This year the 
ground is unusually wet, as we have only had eight 
fine days during the whole month, and in low-lyiDg 
places the soil is still soddened. However, the first 
favourable opportunity should now be taken to get 
in the seed. Choose a fine day and lightly fork over 
the surface of the land, and when sufficiently dry so 
as not to stick to the boots, go over and tread it 
firmly, rake smooth, and draw out the drills. “We 
allow 15 in. between the rows." Sow the seed thinly, 
and cover in. We do not recommend making the 
soil smooth with the back of the spade, neither do 
we approve of the plan of small paths between the 
beds, as the former causes the soil to cake together, 
and the latter is a waste of ground. Large Onions, 
except for exhibition purposes, are useless. Cooks 
do not like them ; neither do the Onions keep so 
well as firm bulbs of medium size. The globe 
varieties keep best, therefore some of these should 
be grown. 
Parsnips. —To grow these roots well, it is neces¬ 
sary that the soil be deeply dug, otherwise recourse 
must be had to making holes with a bar. On 
gravelly soil we have found this latter mode of great 
advantage, for though it takes a little longer to get 
over the work, the crop pays in the end, for is it not 
bulk of fine fleshy roots that is required ? These are 
not served up in the diniDg-room, therefore the 
greater the bulk that can be produced off the ground 
the better, provided they are clean and not course. 
To have roots of this class the soil must be free from 
any course manure; so, after the holes are made, 
they should be filled in with soil that has been 
passed through a ^ in. sieve. Old potting soil, or 
that taken from the surface of the ground will 
answer the purpose well. We make holes 10 in. 
apart in the row, allowing 18 in. between the rows. 
Three or four seeds are then pressed into the centre 
of each and covered in, no further trouble being 
needed. 
Carrots may now be sown, but at present we 
would advise that preference be given to the early 
forcing varieties, such as Parisian Forcing Gem, 
Golden Ball, and the like. These may be sown a 
foot apart, either on the open border or in the 
quarters. 
Early Turnips.— It is impossible to have these 
too soon, for there is usually a blank between those 
sown in the autumn and the spring ones, as the 
latter make but poor progress in their early stages. 
The ground on which early Turnips are grown can¬ 
not well be too rich, neither can they have too much 
moisture during the month of May. It is, however, 
sometimes difficult to get them to make headway in 
their early stage on account of the flea ; but this in 
a measure can be overcome by watering with weak 
liquid manure, or dusting the plants frequently with 
dry wood ashes, lime, or basic slag. The ground 
between the rows should also be frequently moved to 
destroy the flea and let in the sun and air to raise its 
temperature. Early Milan and Snowball are two 
good varieties. The former, however, must be used 
when quite youDg, as it soon goes stringy. Carter's 
Forcing is a quick growing variety, something after 
the stamp of a large white Radish ; but cooks do 
not seem to like it on account of its shape. 
Frames. —In these structures there will be a 
numerous assortment of plants at the present time 
that will require constant watching to keep them 
robust and healthy. Peas that were sown in pots 
with a view of planting out must have the lights 
drawn off them on all favourable occasions. 
Lettuces that have been in these through the winter 
must also be exposed as much as possible to prepare 
them for being planted out when the weather is 
favourable for so doing. Cauliflower plants, too, 
will need attention to prevent them from getting 
crowded ; but they ought not to receive a serious 
check, otherwise they will bolt when planted out 
instead of making a free growth. Hotbeds, too, 
will demand more care ; for as the sun gets more 
power the temperature in these will rise quickly, 
causing the foliage of their occupants to get scalded 
unless air be admitted. Onions, Lettuce, Cauli¬ 
flower, Carrots, Potatos and French Beans all 
suffer, though the two last-named require more 
heat, therefore, on that account are not so readily 
injured. The last lot of Asparagus growing on these 
will soon be cleared out, and where Vegetable 
Marrows are required early a few seeds may be 
sown to supply plants to take the place of the 
Asparagus. Continue to sow small salads so as to 
keep up a supply.— F. W. J 
©leanings from f fje Dutrlb 
of Science. 
The undermentioned subjects were discussed at the 
meeting of the Scientific Committee of the Royal 
Horticultural Society, on the 13th ult 
Elm bark with Larvae —Mr. W. Brooks, of 
Weston-super-Mare, forwarded a piece of bark of an 
English Elm tree, with the following observations : 
The Elm trees are attacked by an insect which is 
destroying them. Some of the trees are fine, nearly 
100 ft. high, and in their prime ; others are smaller. 
The larger trees are attacked more especially on the 
north side; but the smaller all around the stem from 
bottom to top. One of the largest trees shed all its 
leaves in August, and it looks as if the whole of the 
trees will die." 
Mr. McLachlan sends the following report;—“ The 
Elms are attacked by the larvae of a beetle. No 
perfect beetles are to be found in the bark sent, but 
there are numerous larvae, each in a small cell, in 
which it will undergo its transformations. So far as 
can be judged from these larvae, they are those of 
Scolytus destructor, so common in many places. In 
order to destroy them it was suggested, more than 
forty years ago, by the late Capt. C. J Cox (who 
probably took his idea from the French), that all the 
old outer bark be pared off by a spokeshave or some 
similar instrument (the scrapings being of course 
collected and burnt), taking care not to injure the 
inner bark and wood. Dressings of dilute petroleum, 
repeated at intervals in dry weather, might also be 
of service. But the subject opens up a wider ques¬ 
tion—viz , whether the beetle is the cause of the 
condition of the trees, or only steps in where these 
latter are in a moribund state from some other cause. 
The writer of these remarks is inclined to think the 
beetles come as scavengers At any rate in the case 
of tall old trees, probably already ‘stag-horned,’ it 
is practically useless to employ remedial measures, 
and the best thing is to cut them down and burn 
them, or at any rate cart them away at once from 
the vicinity of trees not already attacked. The bark 
of such old trees is usually riddled by the larvae from 
base to top. When the trees are younger and less 
tall, remedial measures, such as those suggested, 
might be tried. Even supposing the trees to be in an 
unhealthy state from some other cause, the attacks 
of the beetle must aggravate that state and hasten 
decay; and if these attacks could be lessened or 
averted there might be a chance of the trees recover¬ 
ing from the other conditions whatever they may be. 
But as a rule disease or decay has already proceeded 
too far before being discovered." 
Fern roots attacked by grubs -Mr. Burt, 
of The Gardens, Caenwood Towers, Highgate, sent 
a specimen of soil and grubs with the rhzomes of 
Adiantum cuneatum. Mr. Hudson observed that he 
was not unfamiliar with them. The specimen was 
forwarded to Mr. McLachlan, who reports as 
follows :— 
“ The grubs at the roots of Adiantum are those of 
a species of weevil, probably Sitones, but I cannot 
commit myself to anything more precise without see¬ 
ing the perfect insects. I should think the best 
thing to do now would be to turn out the plants 
from the pots, shake the old soil from the roots, and 
repot in clean earth, taking care to burn all the old 
with the grubs, When the foliage shows signs of 
being attacked go over the pots at night, turn each 
pot gently on its side, and shake the foliage over a 
sheet of paper. By this means multitudes of the 
perfect insects may be collected and destroyed, and 
the deposition of eggs prevented." 
Orobanche on Pelargonium.—A plant in 
flower was received from Frances M Cooper, Forest 
Road Gardens, Wokingham, described as having 
" established itself in a pot of Geranium. The latter 
at first showed no sign of diminished vigour; but 
now the specimen has come into bloom its host- 
plant seems to be weakly, and its leaves are turning 
yellow. The plant does not seem quite like any 
wild species." The Orobanche was of a purple 
colour throughout, but not agreeing closely with any 
true British species. 
