520 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
April 14, 1900. 
Hints for ||mateurs. 
The Season.—Darin® the early days of April we 
may expect to see the small white butterfly winding 
on vacillating wings throughout the gardens, and a 
stray blackbird or robin’s nest with three or four 
pretty eggs are sometimes to be found. The sociable 
rook begins to hatch her little fledglings up in the 
hard nests of the high, old Elm trees. The Primroses 
in shady glens, the Dandelions and Daisies on sunny 
banks, and the Ground Ivy, the Celandines and 
other plants, are in the first blaze of brightness, 
variously placed. This last winter of the century 
has been long drawn out. Though I think we do 
not now have the terribly severe weather which was 
the portion of our forbears in times gone by, still, 
the frost and snow has been severe and oft repeated 
during the past few months. Hardly a tree has 
burst a leaf yet. Still, if warm and pleasant days 
continue to follow each other throughout the ad¬ 
vancing weeks, Nature will soon awake and mantle 
herself, and we may forget these earlier cold days 
and weeks. Half a century ago, in the gardening 
papers of that time one finds interesting and some¬ 
what amusing phenological references. Thus, in 
one of the old papers, under the weekly calendar for 
this time of year, we find that on Thursday, April 
12th, the song-thrush lays ; the next day is appointed 
for the stock-dove's laying; on the Saturday the 
redbreast is supposed to hatch, and so on, till; a few 
days later, frog tadpoles hatch, and the marsh tit¬ 
mouse’s note ceases. Each day also has a flower 
dedicated to it. At present, Narcissus, Tulip, Sixi- 
fraga, and Stitchworts are selected and individually 
given a day. Such notices are very interesting to 
those living in rural retreats. Much is still being 
done throughout the country toward the advance¬ 
ment and building up of a reliable code of pheno- 
iogical events, that is, phenomena of the season 
noted and chronicled for future comparison and use. 
Work for the Present.—Some folks have still de¬ 
layed even such primary work as attending to the 
repair of walks and paths. The ground is now' dry 
enough to allow anyone to carry through any neces¬ 
sary repairs in this connection. Some may only need 
to bs top-dressed with gravel or brick-dust; others 
may require thorough breaking-up, re-arranging, 
and dressing with various grades of stone material. 
If the latter case predicts the needs of some reader, 
the work or proper renovation may be successfully 
and speedily executed simply by taking out a trench 
across the path to a convenient width and proceeding 
to fill up the back part while working forward. The 
principal is to pick out the rougher stones and solid 
material from the soil and clay of the path, to place 
these stones so as to form a bed or foundation for the 
line of path already picked or loosened, and to cart 
off all the soil and soft stuff. Then, after having 
gone over a path which had not properly been made 
in the first instance, we now should have one with a 
solid foundation of stones, etc., over which dress¬ 
ings, each of a few inches in depth, of machine 
crushed gravel, whinstone, Sussex-bean, cinders, or 
brick-dust may be placed, to be firmly rolled in. 
The full enjoyment of a garden is lost unless the 
avenues for locomotion are comfortable and good. 
The surface colour of paths should engage attention. 
Colours should bs in keeping with other surroundings. 
Decided and pleasant contrasts are recommended, 
and warm colours, such as red, orange, or yellow 
should bs chosen in preference to white, grey, or 
black. 
Seed-sowing and Protection.—April in the out¬ 
door garden is a busy month. So far there have 
been remarkably few sowings of seed made. Plant¬ 
ing too has been backward. As has before been 
said, it behoves one little to plant such things as 
Cauliflowers and Cabbage or Spring Onions, unless 
the ground is warm and capable of sustaining a 
vigorous root growth. Plants put out in March 
have been surpassed in development by others only 
planted in April. All the protection in the world 
would not make the roots of the March plants lay 
hold of the land, but by inserting plants in soil 
which had become warmed by penetrating rains and 
heated air, the results have been convincingly in 
favour of the latter procedure. 
Most of us have great difficulty and annoyance 
from the pesterings of birds or other things. In all 
such cases either wire or herring netting must be 
placed over the beds or pieces of ground containing 
the seeds. If the ground is very scattered, some 
physical means for scaring off the marauders should 
be tried. Dusting the seeds with soot or red lead 
often proves effective. Sulphur is also used. 
Pea Supports, trellises, and other things for the 
bracing up of either vegetable crops, or ornameotal 
climbers, should by now be fixed upon, and what¬ 
ever has been determined for use must be secured. 
Tomatos.—Many amateurs have the desire to 
grow Tomatos for their tables. If they have a 
sunny corner and a good frame which they can 
devote to the purpose of protection, both good fruits 
and good crops can be relied on. It may be that at 
present the frames are used for Chrysanthemums or 
bedding plants. Such being the case, the Tomato 
plants must just be grown on in pots until the frames 
are fit to receive them. The sooner after the middle 
of the present manth the Tomatos can be planted 
the better for them, and the greater return they will 
give It is not necessary to have the frames empty 
before planting. If a narrow border can be made 
along the back of the frame (which should face so as 
to catch the sun), the Tomatos may be planted 
therein at distances of i ft. apart. Train them up 
the back and then forward underneath the sashes. 
Do not top dress nor give much water until after the 
first truss of fruits has set. 
Cucumbers and Melons.— According to means, 
early Melons in pits, or later ones in frames, will be 
planted by those who care for home-grown Melons 
or who relish a Cucumber. Where heated pits are 
at one’s disposal and good plants are ready to be 
put in, now is the time to plant. Where only a hot¬ 
bed can bs relied on for upholding the warmth 
necessary to Melon or Cucumber growth the planting 
may for yet awhile be delayed. 
Planting Trees and Shrubs.—One often wishes to 
write of some new subject or idea on the practice of 
gardening, but while there is such frequent evidence 
that primary principles are not followed the wish has 
to bs subservient to homilies, homilies oft repeated. 
Many dozens of plants, trees, and shrubs are yet 
being planted. Among less careful planters who 
may undertake to arrange such work as pertains to 
villa garden planning or relief by planting, some 
salient needs or rules are often overlooked. Where 
the case happens to be that of laying out and plant¬ 
ing a newly-made garden the depth or quality of the 
soil is quite neglected. Very often the surface strata 
of soil around new dwellings happens to be the soil 
thrown up from the foundation of the house. Such 
soil as a rule is entirely unsuitable for planting iD. 
It requires to be mellowed and aired. Then before 
planting begins the ground should be deeply 
trenched. Often enough this is not the case. A 
space is taken out, and perhaps the “ pan ” is 
broken up around where the roots are expected to 
spread, but nothing further is done. The result is 
that if the plants are at all resentful at disturbance 
some that have cost much money gradually wither 
and succumb. The rules for success are briefly 
these :—Deep trenching, good soil over and around 
the roots, an open surface soil and one which is kept 
free from weeds, staking off tall trees or such as are 
exposed to winds, watering if need be when the soil 
is dry, and mulching soon after planting to prevent 
evaporation. The soil should be made firm, though 
if it be very damp less firming should be done. 
Under these conditions most shrubs should be 
successfully established. Pruning of Ivy may be 
done now.— Beacon. 
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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. 
Shattering Tree Stumps.— AM.: Dynamite is the 
readiest material for shattering tree stumps. In 
using this agent for the purpose, the cartridge must 
have a fuse 2 ft. long attached to it. Bore a hole 
one or two ins. in diamater and into this insert the 
cartridge. 
Spring Treatment of Gloxinias — Wm. Laidlaw. 
A growing temperature suitable to young Gloxinias 
should range from 58° to 65°. Keep the atmosphere 
moist and supply water regularly. Young plants 
from seeds must be cautiously potted on. A light 
position on a shelf a few inches from the glass, 
should be given them in the meantime. 
Dahlia Cuttings Drooping.— K.B.S .: The tem¬ 
perature you have been maintaining is altogether 
too high. The weakly and flabby condition of the 
young Dahlia shoots simply result from the cause we 
name. As soon as shoots of 4 ins. in length are made, 
you may pull them off, trying while doing so, to 
secure a heel. Insert them either in boxes or singly 
in thumb pots filled with light soil. Shade for a day 
or two from strong sunshine and water moderately 
with chilled water. The temperature of the house 
or pit should not exceed 6o° at any time. After the 
middle of May they will be perfectly safe in a cold 
frame. 
Coelogyne cristata poorly.— A.M.R.: In many 
gardens the Coelogynes are not all they ought to be. 
One very frequent cause of decrepitancy lies in the 
poor material used for top-dressing or potting. Good 
green sphagnum should alone be used and some 
pains ought to be taken in the proper placing of it be¬ 
tween the bulbs. The very oldest bulbs which are not 
producing fresh young substitutes should be cut 
cleanly out. Sponge and otherwise clean the foliage, 
allow a brisk, moist temperature, and satisfy your¬ 
self that the drainage and other material is sweet 
and well placed, and your plants will then have a 
chance of rejuvenating their constitutions. 
Deodorising Liquid Manure.— T.S.: Have you 
tried gypsum, sulphuric acid, or sulphate of iron ? 
You notice Mr. Thomson mentions these compounds, 
and recommends them to be used with the manure 
to grasp and retain the ammonia found in liquid 
manures. It is the ammonia which causes the un¬ 
pleasant odour, and by placing either of the agents 
which are noted alone, in contact with the liquid, 
chemical charges occur whose effect is to suppress 
the volatile elements,and so prevent the detection of 
any smell. For this purpose kainit and wood-ashes 
in bags dropped in the tub or tank containing 
the manure water affect in a lesser degree, a like 
change. 
Dividing Hepaticas.— W.L .: Wait until after 
the flowering period. When that time arrives 
divide the plants with a sharp-edged spade and re¬ 
plant in good soil; or better still, shake away a 
portion of the soil, and pull the crowns carefully 
apart with the hands. 
Planting hardy Ferns.— W.L : The Shield 
Ferns, Polystichums, Scolpendriums, and Osmundas, 
may be planted in pockets of the rockery either now 
or any time during this and next month. See that 
the roots are kept as entire as possible, and finish off 
the surface around the necks of the Ferns in such a 
manner that the fullest amount of moisture will be 
caught for the benefit of the roots. The Royal Fern 
and the Shield Ferns (Aspidiums) ought to be 
placed well back, on account of their height. 
Planting Daffodils, &c ,—E. D. M .: You may 
order or take note of the most pleasing varieties to 
your taste, according as you see them at exhibitions 
or in gardens, but you cannot plant them until the 
proper season arrives for so doing, and that is 
October and November. 
Daff. versus Narciss.— Miss Smith : The long 
trumpet Narcissi, of which our wild Daffodil, N. 
Pseudo-narcissus is the type, are the true Daffodils. 
All others simply are Narcissus. But the custom is 
to call all the Narcissi, Daffodils, though the bunch 
or Polyanthus Narcissi are not so termed. 
Sweetest-scented Pelargonium.—T. Smith : The 
scented-leaved Pelargoniums are varied in their 
fragrance. The large-leaved and hairy P. tomentosum 
has an indescribable aroma,very strong, yet pleasant. 
P.citriodora is orange-scented, and P.Lady Scarboro’, 
which has small leaves, is as sweet as any. Indeed, 
the latter is the sweetest we know. 
The Story of the Fuchsia’s Introduction.— Malle : 
The story is authentic. Old John Lee, now some¬ 
time dead, happened once to be passing by a cottage 
ia his peregrinations. In the window of the cot he 
saw a beautiful plant with pendent bell-shaped 
blossoms. Being an astute nurseryman he went in 
