424 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
March 3, 1900. 
MINTS FOR WMATEURS. 
Anemones.—Considering how large a part or share 
the various types of Anemones have in adorning our 
gardens I shall direct a few notes to the considera¬ 
tion of the genus. All know and admire the pure 
white Anemone japonica alba, and the less loved but 
pretty pink variety, both of which bloom toward the 
decline of summer. Many may know this, or these, 
Anemones by the popular name of Michaelmas 
Anemones. But handsome, beautiful, and useful 
though these tall species are, do you care more for 
them than you do for those Windflowers of spring ? 
Their red colours are even more glorious than the 
brightness of a soldier's scarlet tunic, and A. Pulsa¬ 
tilla is dressed in a “ bonnier " blue than the boys of 
the “ Household " Brigade. “ The red, white, and 
blue ” of the Hepaticas (which was a sub-genus, but 
is now included with Anemone) might well be taken 
in hand for arranging a design of Britain’s flag in a 
spring flower bed. Fancy such a sight in Hyde 
Park 1 And then during early summer we have the 
small white and pale blue alpine Anemones of the 
A. nemorosa type. Thus during all except the 
winter months Anemones of some sort are to be 
found in bloom. The scarlet Windflower, A. fulgens, 
and A. Pulsatilla, the Pasque Flower (blue), are 
both largely grown for market supply or for home de¬ 
coration. The other early flowering Anemones are 
chiefly confined to the hardy plant borders. 
Taking what we will term the Poppy Anemones 
first, their needs are simple. Under this class 
comes A. coronaria and its varieties. These jiell 
a very varied assortment of colours, and cm be 
raised from seed. A midsummer sowing in well 
prepared ground in the open air will yield plants 
which will flower the next year. A summer sowing 
saves a deal of trouble, and is probably more reliable 
than a so ving made at the present time. With good 
seeds and a sheltered and well prepared position the 
youog plants,under favourable conditions, will flower 
the same year as sown. Notes upon their culture in 
pots need not be given at this time. 
The alpine Anemones delight in a well-drained 
soil, and should be planted some time in autumn. 
The Anemone Hepaticamay be increased by division. 
It also prefers a deep and rich soil in a shady posi¬ 
tion. There are three chief varieties of a Hepa ica, 
these being A. H. caerulea, A. H. alba, and A. H. 
rubra. The Anemone japonica and varietes are 
easiest increased by dividing the old roots. Beds 
of them may be, and ought to be, left undisturbed 
for years, top-dressings being given if the beds 
become worn out. 
Primula Auricula.—The " Dusty Millers," or 
Auricula, which is but a very distinctive spscific 
type of Primrose, are found in all gardens, some in 
greater, some in lesser amount. They do not de¬ 
mand a great amount of time or capital to grow 
handsomely enough, yet it will always be found 
worth while to treat them well. He who makes up 
his mind to have at least one special bed of flowers on 
which to devote energy and patience, could not do 
better than try his hand at Auricula growing. The 
types are various enough even to demand the atten¬ 
tion of one experienced in their growth. The 
fanciers of show and fancy Auriculas consider their 
pets quite as much in need of thoughtful attention as 
he who dotes upon prize poultry. Young plants of 
the alpine section in frames at the present time 
should receive all the air possible, for the sake of 
their being safely transferred to the open beds with¬ 
out suffering a check in a month's time. It is best 
to sow the seeds soon after the pods have properly 
ripened. This allows of their being grown on 
through the winter to produce plants which will be 
at the stage of those of which I now write. Well 
prepared beds are very necessary. The Auricula pre¬ 
fers a deep soil, into which it can root and not 
suffer from drought in periods of little moisture. 
A friable condition of the beds is what should be 
aimed for. If the soil is very stiff it will be necessary 
to have had it exposed to the action of the wintry 
weather. It will require all the breaking up and 
working about that can be given to it. On the other 
hand, soil which is inclined to be too well drained (a 
gravelly or sandy soil) can hardly have too much 
matter of a retentive nature added to it. Wood 
ashes are much appreciated by Auriculas. The 
common Alpine Auriculas may be put out in open- 
air beds. There should be 4 ft. broad, with an al’ey 
between each two beds. String a line along the 
length of the beds, and plant the little Auriculas at 
distances of hal'-a-foot, and in touch with the line. 
About the same distance is necessary between the 
rows themselves. Make the plants firm, but do not 
set them down too deeply. If the ground by any 
chance happens to lack enough of surface moisture, 
an occasional watering will be necessary to let them 
start away well. Should the young plants exhibit 
signs of flowering, the spikes should be taken off 
during the first year. Strong plants may carry one 
or two spikes. The object should be to get well de¬ 
veloped young plants in the first instance. Old beds 
may have the surface soil loosened, and a good top¬ 
dressing of decayed manure, wood-ashes, and soil 
given. This should be put between the rows of 
plants, and also around them. Old plants get 
scraggy and valueless unless they are well looked 
after. Young batches are very easily raised. 
Echinops.—The perennial species in need of divi¬ 
sion should be taken in hand by the middle of next 
month at latest. Where the clumps have become 
large, or where it has been decided to discard them 
from the finer borders and relegate them to a place 
wherein they can spread and naturalise,—in these 
cases, do the work next month. The plants, which 
resemble Thistles in habit and appearance, 
are cf the very simplest culture, all the trouble 
needed being merely to plant them in ordinary 
garden soil, where they will grow right enough. E. 
sphaerocephalus is a very well known perennial kind, 
with pale blue flower heads. These are produced in 
summer. E. Ritro and E. commutatus are others 
which are desirable to include. Their height being 
all about 2 ft. to 3 ft., a middle position in the border 
should be accorded them. 
Roses.—So bard, and so uncertain has the weather 
been of late that the Roses which one would like to 
see pruned cannot be touched. Many of the H P's 
on walls and other places have already put out 
growths, and, with weather at all favourable, they 
will certainly push steadily on. We believe the 
the Messrs. Croll, of Dundee, where the weather, if 
anywhere, might be expected to be stormy and 
chargeable till late on, prune even outdoor Teas so 
early as the present time. If they can do so, and 
win prizes year after year, it proves that the practice 
is good and the risk cannot be so great as is some¬ 
times imagined. It is this which often deters the 
pruning till frosts have little chance of being severe. 
I would say, then, in this matter of pruning, that, 
if you care to run a little risk, the plants which are 
now breaking should be pruned in a very short 
while from now. Those who would rather see 
March well in, and who wish to experience its 
meteoro'ogical character before pruning, are, of 
course, quite at liberty to use their own judgment. 
For myself, I do not prune until this time one month 
hence, leaving even the Teas and Noisettes until 
April. 
Fruit Tree Pruning.—The finishing off part of 
the pruning must now be seen to. Apples and Pears 
may possibly be partly to go over yet, buf, unless for 
an exceptional case or two, if the work is not now 
almost completed, then you are behind. The same 
rule applies to Currants and to Gooseberries. To 
save the Gooseberries from probable infestation by 
saw flies, whenever the first buds begin to break, 
dust the plants with soot.— Beacon. 
-- - 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked, by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
Anyone 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. 
Propagating Vines.— A Edgar : Vines are propa¬ 
gated at this time chiefly from '* eyes," but can also 
be increased by cuttings and layers. Cuttirgs are 
adopted by those who grow on a very large scale, 
such as proprietors of continental Vineyards. Eyes 
which are plump and good, springing from stout 
wood previously well ripened, must be selected. The 
shoots bearing them are cut straight through about 
i in. from either side of the bud. Thus the shoot with 
the eye will be 1 in. long, the end from which roots 
are to be emitted being cut slantlingly. Prepare 3-in. 
pots, and, using a compost of one part nice fibrous 
loam, one part leaf mould, with an addition of sand, 
insert the eyes. Some sand is usually placed below 
the eye, which is firmly pressed down, the bud 
appearing level with the surface soil. After this, 
plunge the pots in a bed, having a bottom heat of 
8o°, with a temperature of 65° to 70°. In many 
places little squares of turf are used in place of pots 
of soil, these in every way answering the purpose for 
rooting into. Gently water the soil with tepid water, 
but be careful not to continue the practice too per¬ 
sistently. When fresh white roots are visible, and 
are growing vigorously, potting up into carefully pre¬ 
pared and warmed soil may then be done. 
Planting and selection of Potatos.— W. M .: 
Some anxious gardeners do manage to get in their 
earlier outdoor planting of Potatos during this month, 
in districts even north of the Tweed. For mid¬ 
season supply you had better prepare your land 
thoroughly and plant by the middle of March ; 4 in. 
is deep enough. Undivided sets of about 2 in. in 
length and breadth, with a few of the eyes taken out, 
are preferred by many growers. Large Potatos 
should be divided, care being taken to have stout 
eyes in each division. When earthing up the young 
haulms, do not draw up the earth too closely to the 
shoots. By leaving the stems somewhat free at the 
neck, rain, and the moisture from the dews runs 
down to supply the roots, whereas with sloping sides, 
closely pressing the stems, much of this would be 
carried entirely off. A number of varieties for your 
purpose will be found in this list: — Kidney 
varieties: Myatt's Prolific Ashleaf, Beauty of 
Hebron, Early Puritan (inclined to be sappy in all 
but sandy soils), Magnum Bonum (very large), 
Sharpt’s Victor, and The Bruce. Round and 
pebble varieties are Sutton’s Satisfactation, Up-to- 
Date (a grand cropper, but subject to disease), 
Windsor Castle, and Jeannie Deans. 
Salt for Destroying Weeds.— Lorimcr: When 
applied heavily enough upon weedy paths, salt cer¬ 
tainly kills the weeds. But in its wake we have 
generally found a thick carpeting of mosses and other 
lowly growths. Well drained and consolidated 
paths pay for the trouble of making. 
Ivy for Walls.— R. Salter, Leeds : We have often 
advocated the planting of Ivy for wall cover. It is 
an entire fallacy to say that it attracts or retains 
dampness. One point of demerit lies in the fact that 
the roots extract and loosen the lime between the 
stones. The swaying and the weight of Ivy unsup¬ 
ported often tries the strength of old walls, but these 
are matters which timely thought could rectify. 
Narcissus minimus.— Daff: It can be grown in a 
nicely sheltered pocket of a rockery. The light 
must, however, be good. You will have to keep it in 
mind for planting next October. The Good Luck 
Lily (N. Tazelta chinensis) is grown by our gar¬ 
deners in bowls containing water, the bulbs being 
supported by stones and peebles. It was figured in 
our bulb number. 
Astilbe japonica.— James Wagner : It Is a rule 
with many good cultivators to force their Spiraeas 
and Astilbes every third year. That is, they are 
forced one year and divided up and planted agaiD. 
They grow. During the next winter they rest, and 
also the following winter, coming in again for forc¬ 
ing in the third year. Forcing every other year is 
also accomplished. 
Lifting Rhubarb.— J. Williams: If you have to 
lift the plants then we suppose the solution is 
evident. However, if you take a quantity of the soil 
with the clumps or crowns and place them a little 
deeper into the new position, the check to the plants 
will hardly be noticeable. Give a mulch after 
planting. 
Sweet Peas in Pots.— J. Conway, Staffs.: As 
many others may have the desire to grow Sweet 
Peas in pots as well as in the open this year, as 
being a special year, we are glad you have put the 
question. The funds and arrangements for the 
conference are advancing in a manner satisfactory 
to all concerned. Five inch pots are large enough, 
and the usual precautions of having them clean and 
well drained must be seen to. Fill them up to with¬ 
in 1 in. from the top and place in seeds about 1 in. 
apart either way, or say twelve to fifteen 
seeds in all. Any friable soil may be used. 
