m 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 17, 1900. 
cation of the estimation in which it is held'. New 
Scarlet is a novelty, a great improvement upon the 
original, and bound to displace it when a sufficient 
stock of it has been raised. Magenta is another 
standard variety; and here again a selection has 
been made that excels it. Prince of Wales is a 
double variety, of dwarf habit, with flowers of a 
pleasing salmon colour. Here also may be seen a 
small batch of a variegated variety of Carmine, 
having leaves splashed with a creamy hue. 
Double scarlet is well named, for the flowers are 
very rich indeed, and more lasting in the cut state 
than the single varieties of that name. Aurora is 
also double and very useful for making bouquets, the 
silvery-pink flowers being both durable and chaste in 
colour. The light green foliage is also a character 
of the variety. The crimson carmine flowers of 
Vivid are also double and freely produced, while the 
plants are very dwarf. A fine display is produced 
by Lilac Queen, a bushy and very free flower¬ 
ing variety, with pleasing lilac flowers that get 
darker with age. Another standard variety in fine 
form is Vermillion, of which a large quantity of 
bushy plants is grown, each carrying two or three 
fine trusses of bloom, the brilliant colour of which is 
very telling in the mass. Venus is white, stripped 
and mottled with purple like a Carnation. Venus 
(fern-leaved) differs only in the foliage from the 
previous one. Both are grown in considerable 
quantity which may be taken as an indication of 
their being favourably received by the public. 
Besides Elaine and Elaine Improved as mentioned 
above, there is also a Fern-leaved Elaine with beauti¬ 
fully crisped and fimbriated, pure white flowers, 
contrasting strikingly with the dark petioles of the 
foliage. Princess May has very large, silvery-pink 
flowers of good substance, with light green foliage, 
and is a favourite with gardeners. A very pretty 
variety, especially in its early stages, is Imogene, a 
Fern-leaved type, with silvery pink flowers, very 
freely produced. The plant is of dwarf habit and 
sets off the flowers beautifully. The double white 
flowers of Princess of Wales are flaked with purple 
like a Carnation. The pearly white flowers of Snow¬ 
flake become pure white when fully developed. They 
last a long time on the plant, and if regularly cut for 
use as they reach perfection, the plants keep on 
throwing up a fresh supply of trusses. The light 
green foliage conforms to the hue of the flowers. 
The variety is thus well adapted for conservatory 
work, as well as for cutting. 
One long house and part of another are devoted to 
several strains of Cinerarias, now in a well advanced 
state and just commencing to open their first flowers. 
The plants are well furnished with healthy foliage 
covering the pots. Double Cinerarias are grown 
from seed, and so raised are much healthier than 
those produced from cuttings or suckers in the old- 
fashioned way. Altogether there are between 1,000 
and 2,000 plants in 24 and 32-sized pots. The 
Calceolarias were being shifted from 32- into 
24-sized pots, and are clean and healthy. Primula 
obconica in a variety of light and pleasing colours 
may be seen in the same house. 
SAP FLOW. 
There is a possibility that this subject may develop 
to distinctiveness. It certainly is worthy the con¬ 
sideration and the opinion of all who are observant 
cultivators or students of botany. There is a great 
amount of data, argument, and interesting cases 
which might be recorded for the forming of some 
definite agreement, reasonable to all parties, upon 
the subject of how sap flows and to which parts of the 
tree it is confined. As writer of the paragraph which 
caught "A.D.'s" attention, I explained my case pretty 
fully on page 410. In his article last week, p. 427, 
" P- L.” wrote a sentence which I should like to 
have his explanation upon. He wrote “ To say that 
it (sap) ascends from the roots through the wood 
to the leaves, and then back again by the inner bark 
and cambium layer to the roots, is mere theory, and 
has long ago been exploded.” With the other cir¬ 
cumstances of the case I fail to see what he implies. 
To save possible repetition I hope my previous 
article on the subject may be perused. I may say that 
it was an omission on my part not to note that a large 
part of the sap is pure water, and only employed 
functionally to act as a porter, a carrier, to take the 
salts up to the leaves. Once there, the superfluous 
water is sent about its business, sent through 
the stomata into the air. Neither do I like 
*'P. L.'s” expression that the roots ‘‘pump” up 
sap. It is apt to propagate a wrong idea of their 
method of supplying the sap. “ P. L.” pretty well 
explains the citation made by “ C. Yeomans.”— H. 
■ »«- 
CHEMISTRY FOR THE GARDEN. 
VII.- Mineral Foods. 
We have hitherto given no more than a mere hint 
of the presence of the mineral or inorganic food of 
plants. This important part of supply, though com¬ 
prising a very insignificant proportion compared 
with r that of the organic, is nevertheless equally 
essential for the vigorous growth and health of the 
plant. Roughly calculating the plant contains only 
about five per centum of mineral matter in its struc¬ 
ture. Of course this quantity varies not only in 
different plants, but in different parts of the plant. 
It appears to be more abundant in the softer parts of 
the plant, such as the leaves, shoots, and bark, than 
in the more solid parts, such as the stems and heart- 
wood. The ash of plants is a fair representation of 
the amount of mineral a plant contains. The several 
minerals found in plants, and consequently forming 
part of their food and structure, are, with a few ex¬ 
ceptions, very much the same as found in the soil. 
In some cases one constituent prevails to such a 
degree in a plant that the plant in common parlance 
partakes of its name. Thus we have potash plants, 
silica plants, lime plants, soda plants, &c., the special 
mineral being each one's favourite mineral food. 
Experience has proved that such plants will thrive 
best when liberally supplied with their favourite 
mineral. 
All gardeners are alive to the fact of the valuable 
results in a good dressing of lime to the Peas plot. 
The same may be said with respect to the Cabbage 
family, when additions of wood-ashes or any other 
form of potash is made. It will be understood, 
however, that these claimed results will not occur 
without the corporation of some nitrogenous manure. 
From this fact we learn that the influence of the one 
is entirely dependent on the presence of the other, 
as Liebig at one time had stated. We also learn 
from facts such as continued cropping by the same 
plants, on the same land, year after year, how im¬ 
portant the mineral constituents they assimilate, 
though small, are to the profitable production. 
Though a soil generally, if at all worthy of the 
name, contains in its virgin state, all or most of the 
minerals requisite for plants, it may with cropping 
become very deficient in mineral matter. There is 
therefore a greater necessity, than is perhaps 
appreciated, for, when adding organic matter, adding 
inorganic matter as well in an available form. It is 
commonly believed that farmyard manure contains 
all the essentials needed for plant food. This may 
or may not be the case; at the same time farmyard 
manure of all natural productions is that which is 
most likely to be nearest perfection in that respect. 
One very important thing to be remembered in 
connection with the mineral food of plants, is^ that it 
is not so much of the disposal or convenience of the 
plant as its organic food. 
When the mineral food within the radius of the 
roots is taken up, the soil may be termed exhausted 
as far as that specific food is concerned. It is not so 
with the organic food, the greater part of which is 
derived from the atmosphere. Speaking generally, 
it may be said that the organic food supply is inter¬ 
minable, and that the inorganic is a relatively scant 
product. Of course, if all the plants which grow on 
a soil were again dug into that soil, no better substi¬ 
tute for loss of mineral could be made. This doubt¬ 
less explains the cases of forests which luxuriate for 
years without any artificial attention in the way of 
mineral matter being added, except that which is 
contained in the fallen leaves. 
The drain made on mineral food in highly culti¬ 
vated gardens must be very great. Of course, much 
of this food is, year by year, again returned in the 
form of good farmyard manure, but it is very 
probable that the quantity therein is often too little. 
There is some reason for supposing that failure of 
certain crops, such as Carrots, Onions, and Parsley, 
has some connection with defective mineral food. 
It is worthy of note that at one time chemists 
were inclined to overlook the mineral constituents of 
plants, and considered them as merely accidental 
visitors which found their way into the plant's 
structure. There are those at the present time who 
hold much the same opinion, making potash an ex¬ 
ception. Were it only from a purely logical point of 
view such an opinion is examined, we are inclined to 
think the reasoning would prove abortive.— Oxygen. 
(To he continued.) 
■ » > — 
GRADUS PEA. 
The claims of this grand Pea have been so freely 
and fully discussed, and its undoubted merits so well 
stated by your correspondents, such as Mr. Mayne 
and others, that to say more is to attempt gilding 
refined gold. I think Mr. Carmichael may have, 
like many others, got hold of a bad stock of Gradus — 
hence his anathema. In the spring of 1895 I grew a 
row of it from a much-mixed stock, which was then 
sent out to the seed trade, and while two-thirds of it 
was the true Gradus, the remaining third was a 
different Pea altogether—taller and later. How this 
came about was never explained, but it seems prob. 
able that from that mixed stock much of the mis. 
chief originated. 
When true, Gradus is one of the best of early Peas, 
and has many distinctive merits to recommend it. It 
comes in about a week after Exonian, and with 
William /., and others of that class; but it is so 
much longer in pod, finer in quality, and larger in the 
Pea, as to at once show its superiority. Another, 
and one of its best features is that it remains in 
bearing longer than other early sorts. It is a thous¬ 
and pities such a really good all-round early Marrow¬ 
fat should have been discredited by anyone in its 
early career, for it is bound to become a standard 
variety, if, indeed, it has not already done so.— 
A. Hope, Exeter. 
--*»-— 
STRAWBERRY CULTURE FOR THE 
MARKET. 
That the physiological justification for rotation of 
crops is due to the selective power of the roots is a 
morsel of information which rarely disturbs the 
equanimity of the “ Strawberry farmer,” when he 
can obtain a field which has never previously em¬ 
braced the genus, Fragaria. Deterioration of pro¬ 
duce, from some of our long established farms and 
gardens, where frequent cropping has been indulged 
in, necessitates the procuring of fresh sites. Thus, 
deterioration, from the previously-mentioned cause, 
is especially marked in Blairgowrie, at one time one 
of the largest Strawberry producing districts in 
Scotland. Given such a site—a rare commodity in 
the environment of towns—consisting of a nice hazel 
loam,well drained,and rich in soluble phosphates and 
lime, the grower commences cultivation operations 
ensured of a goodly return. 
Manure is applied at a rate of not less than forty 
tons per acre, and speedily ploughed io. When 
procurable this manure is applied in a fresh state, 
as few of them believe in storing, as a miser might 
his filthy lucre. 
The soil is now ameliorated by the action of 
plough, harrows, and roller, and in a fit state for 
planting. The form of plough most frequently used 
is one with a reversible mould. By its use no deep 
unsightly furrow is left where this operation ceases. 
Frequently the land is drilled, afterwards rolled, 
and the rows marked off with a Turnip barrow. 
This drilling is advantageous where the soil is damp 
and adhesive, but where the conditions are vice versa, 
the rows are marked off after rolling without the 
intervention of a drill plough. 
Runners are secured on or after the second week 
in August and detached by means of a spade from 
the parent plaots. When severed from the old 
plants, these runners are forked up, trimmed, placed 
in baskets and removed to the prepared plot, where 
they are speedily planted in rows with a dibble. 
The distance between the rows varies from 28 in. to 
36 in. by 15 in., 30 in. being a very common 
distance. If a good distance be not allowed, it 
frequently occurs, that the pickers—who get tired 
stooping and adopt a kneeling or other posture— 
damage more fruit at the first picking than they 
pick all the season. When planted in autumn, the 
rows are frequently at a distance of, say, 15 in. 
apart, every alternate row being removed after the 
first year’s fruit is secured. 
It frequently happens that Strawberries succeed 
Fotatos, and when such is the case, planting has to 
be deferred till April. To obtain young plants in a 
fit and forward condition for this planting, the 
