June 9, 1900. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
SAINTPAULIA IONANTHA. 
Saintpaulia ionantha, is one of the most desirable 
of recent additions to our stoves,either as an edging,or 
better still, as a hanging plant, suspended so that 
it is on a level with the eye, it forms at once an 
interesting, unique, and beautiful plant. It is a 
native of Usambara, in East Central Africa, and was 
first brought before the notice of horticulturists at 
tha Ghent Quinquennial Exhibition in 1893. The 
habit reminds one of RamoDdia, and the texture of 
the leaves resembles that of a Gloxinia. The 
flowers, which are odourless, and of a bright, rich, 
violet-blue colour, arise from the crown in spreading 
cymes, and continue to be produced for months, 
according to cultivation. Its dimorphic flowers, 
right and left-handed styles, combined with its dis¬ 
puted chances of insect pollination, insures its 
position as a plant of more than usual interest to the 
botanist, whilst from a horticulturist’s point of 
view its propagation and cultivation is most desir¬ 
able. Like the other members of the order Ges- 
neraceae it is easily reproduced vegetatively by leaf 
propagation; likewise easy from seed. Grow in a 
compost consisting of two parts loam, one part peat, 
mixed with some leaf mould and sharp sand. A 
position in the propagating pit will insure its welfare 
whilst in a young state, afterwards give a light place 
in the stove. A 4 in. pot is sufficiently large for a 
two year’s old plant, and which, if occasionally fed 
and maintained slightly pot bound, will become an 
attractive and floriferous plant.— Alpine. 
--§•- 
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM. 
The Easter florists' windows surpassed anything 
previously attempted. The quantity of Lilies was 
amazing, although Roses crowded them closely. 
White, glistening window floorings are used, with 
mirror backgrounds, and the masses of colour, skil¬ 
fully relieved with Smilax, Ferns, and Palms; not a 
poor specimen to be seen anywhere. 
I bought half-a-dozen Tea Roses of various colours, 
with long stems, for gd. They were very good. A 
local nurseryman has been fined lately under the 
San Jose scale law. He had sold some trees here 
which had not been examined and certified by the 
state entomologist. This was the first case under 
the new law, which provides for an annual inspec¬ 
tion of nurseries. 
Mrs. Dewey’s former husband, General HazeD, 
was extremely fond of Petunias, and she used to 
keep large bunches constantly on his grave. 
At the inauguration of the new aldermen here 
lately some of the floral offerings were fearful and 
wonderful to behold. One was a seven-foot Indian, 
made of Roses and Violets with feathers in its Car¬ 
nation head. A son of the Emerald Isle got five floral 
harps and an armchair. An immense elephant was 
made of Roses, while a rooster and a gigantic pair 
of scales were also the objects of much attention. 
Rather a unique advertisement was issued for 
Easter bonnets by a local firm. They remarked, as 
the Violet represents watchfulness, so do we watch 
the markets ; as the Rose represents worth, so do 
our values ; as the Lily represents majesty, so are 
our styles ; as the Chrysanthemum represents truth, 
so are our statements, and our watchword ; and as 
the Fuchsia represents taste, so do we stand for 
tastiness in every detail. 
It was surrounded by good wood-cuts of the flow¬ 
ers named. American Beauty Roses sold at from 20/- 
to 48/- a dozen ; Easter Lilies 12/- to 16/-; Violets 
2/- a bunch ; Carnations 2/- to 6/- a dozen ; Tulips 
4/-to 6/-a dozen; Narcissus, Daffodils and Jonquils, 
also Lily of the Valley, 4/- a dozen. Plants fetched 
good prices, Azaleas running from 10/- up, and 
Rhododendrons and Acacias higher. Even Genistas 
were from 3/6 upwards. Colour is more used than 
previously.— C. Macquarie, Chicago. 
---• 
KitcUen Garflen calendar. 
Most vegetable crops are backward this season, and 
none seem to make that progress one would wish. 
The dry weather in many places accompanied with 
cold winds is sadly against a free and healthy growth. 
Thinning of most crops will now need attention, and 
this if possible should be done in showery weather 
or many of the plants will break off instead of being 
pulled out by the roots. Where the ground is very 
dry it is a good plan to give a thorough watering a 
few hours before thinning takes place, as this will 
admit of the plants being the more readily drawn. 
It is not advisable to thin Onions too much unless 
the bulbs are wanted for exhibition purposes ; if 
thinned to about 3 in. apart this will be ample. 
Carrots should be singled out according to the 
variety, the early short-topped varieties to 2 in. the 
others to 8 in. or 9 in. Parsnips, Beetroot and 
Turnips should be allowed a similar distance. 
Seakale. —This ought to be looked over and 
carefully disbudded, removing all but the strongest 
growth on each plant. The ground between the 
rows should be hoed to destroy any small weeds that 
may be making their appearance. Liberal waterings 
with liquid manure or a sprinkling of guano will 
also be beneficial, for unless the plants get a good 
start it is impossible for them to make fine crowns 
for forcing. 
Asparagus. —The beds ought now to have a 
liberal watering to induce them to push up stronger 
for unless they have some extra support the plants 
will soon get exhausted and cease to send up growths. 
Keep the beds free from weeds by slightly moving 
the surface with a hoe. Beds that are intended for 
early forcing should not be cut over after this date. 
Winter Greens. —Whenever the weather is 
favourable for planting, push forward with the work 
for the sooner the plants get established the better 
chance there is of them resisting the hot weather. 
If there is the least signs of club root give the 
ground a dressing with newly-stocked lime, examine 
the plants previous to planting and discard all’those 
affected. 
Lettuce. —Cos varieties will now be getting good, 
as they are much better if tied up before they get 
too far advanced, pay attention to this regularly, 
but do not tie more at one time than are required 
for two or three day’s supply as the hearts rot much 
faster when blanched. Lettuce should never be tied 
when wet, for if the leaves are brought together 
when in this condition decay soon sets in. 
Celery. —As the ground becomes vacant after 
Potatos or early Peas, prepare trenches and get out 
Celery, as there is no advantage in allowing the 
plants to get too large before putting them out. Early 
Celery is liable to go to seed if checked in its 
growth ; to avoid this keep the plants well watered. 
Those who are desirous of having this ready for 
early exhibitions must use collars for blanching, as 
these do not in the least interfere with the growth. 
Watering can be done without any fear of rotting 
the hearts of the plants. 
Salads.— Continue to sow Radishes at short in¬ 
tervals. If two or three varieties are sown together 
every fortnight this should keep up a supply. 
Lettuce must also be sown in like manner, and the 
plants transplanted before they get very large. The 
larger kinds ought to be allowed a space of 12 in. 
each way, the smaller sorts from 6 in. to 8 in. 
Mustard and Cress, Chervil, and small Onions 
should also be grown for this purpose, the latter if 
not more than 3 in. high are much in request in 
some establishments. Pay attention to ihe staking 
of both Runner Beans and Peas, and make another 
sowing of each as soon as the previous ones are well 
through the soil. Should the weather be hot and 
dry water liberally.— F. W. J. 
Vines. —The young Vines from eyes struck in 
February and later, are now making good progress, 
and are filling the 32-sized pots in which they are 
growing with abundance of roots. By no negligence 
allow them to become pot-bound. The next shift 
should be into 8-in. or 9-iD. pots. Use thoroughly 
sound pots, else there may be irritating breakages at 
a critical stage later on. If new pots are used steep 
them in water for some minutes. 
The compost for the next potting may consist of 
fibrous loam (loam with body in it, though not 
clayey). From a sixth to an eight part of mortar, 
passed through the f-in. riddle, should be added, 
together with a quarter part of dried Mushroom 
dung and a 6-in. potful of bonemeal to the barrow¬ 
load of loam. Drain the pots thoroughly and with 
care, and pot firmly. 
Second Year Vines, which were cut back this 
spring and potted on recently into 10-in. pots should 
be regularly, indeed, rigorously, attended to in 
watering and syringing. Unless every care that 
experience can pre-conceive is laboured upon these 
young canes, good stock seldom results. They re¬ 
quire free ventilation, free thinning-out, and attention 
to tying-in. 
Pot Vines ripening their fruits should be watered 
and the house freely ventilated, so long as the 
bunches remain upon them. 
Vines Planted OuT.and which have ripened their 
crops, are practically at the end of their season’s 
operations. Stimulants or, indeed, water may now 
be withheld from such Vines. A second thinniDg of 
the berries in recently-thinned bunches of succession 
houses may be given about this time. The.growing 
shoots must be kept tied in, a little tightening at a 
time being given to the raffia or striog. 
The Peach Houses should be maintained at a 
temperature of from 65° to 70° during the day, down 
to 6o° at night. The present weather is very trying 
to the indoor fruitsman. Blinks of sunshine are 
quite scarce, and a whole day’s sunshine has scarcely 
been known this year — 3 nd the longest day is on the 
21st of this month! Be more sparing with the 
syriDge during these dull, cold days.— D. K. 
IMS PLANT HOUSES, 
The Stove. 
Among the features of the plant stove in the mean¬ 
time, the Caladiums are the most conspicuous. 
Where a really good variety or selection of varieties 
are housed, the feast to the eyes is delicious. I 
think that gardeners as a rule are not much given to 
moralizing on the subjects under their care. The 
first prize for a dozen table plants, or for a group, or 
even a single specimen looms up more frequently 
than thoughts of a critical or logical nature. How 
very wonderful the structure of a Caladium leaf is, 
and even more wonderful is the colouring of it. How 
is it that this plant here, which is a Caladium, and 
that plant there, which is likewise a Caladium, and 
whose leaf structure so far as is known is identical, 
and with their roots in the same compost, and with 
all conditions similar, are yet so opposite in colour ? 
One may be yellow, the other may be purple. These 
differences lead on to further enquiries, and from 
one thiDg we get on to another, soon to find that 
there is yet heaps to investigate, and much that will 
long remain a puzzle. A little weak manure-water 
acts helpfully on the size and colour of plants which 
are under development. The stems of the larger 
leaves should have a stake neatly placed against 
them. 
Gloxinias in 5-in. and 6-iD. pots, when well flower¬ 
ed, are far more commendable than great specimen 
plants in 8-in. pots. As a rule the latter are coarse. 
They may make large and beautiful plant', but one 
generally finds the flowers are not what they ought 
to be either in form or colour. And better none at 
all than Gloxinias which are “ washy.” The stages 
and paths of the house in which they are growing 
should be kept moistened. The plants must also be 
kept shaded Irom sunshine. 
The Greenhouse. 
One of the finest and most admired plants in the 
greenhouse at the present time is Schizanthus 
pinnatus and its varieties. If readers cf The 
Gardening World have not a stock of it, it cer¬ 
tainly is not for want of recommendation, and hints 
from various correspondents at many different times. 
For decorative use as a pot plant or for growing to 
produce a supply cf cut blooms, well, there is 
nothing finer, and that is an end to it. 
roses.—I n pots or planted out, Roses are apt to 
become badly mildewed in such shifty weather at 
we are experiencing. One of the safest and best 
antidotes to either its establishment or its spr. ad,. is 
to spray the bushes morning and afternoon with 
warm soapy water. Of course, where plants are in 
flower the spraying would have to be discontinued. 
Weak growths must be removed, as they will only 
tend to weaken others which remain. Try, by free 
ventila'ing, by judicious watering and use of the 
fingers and pruning knife, to grow your Roses 
“ hardily,” as they say. Only by care (and do they 
not deserve it ?) can large beautiful Roses be 
obtained. 
Azaleas and Heaths which have just gene out 
of flower and which would be the better for a shift 
od, may undergo this opera ion now. Before 
repotting them, take the precaution to scak the ball. 
It need not be soaked, but it must be moist. Then 
for a compost use a mixture of loam, peat, some 
charcoal and plenty of coarse sand. The peat and 
loam should be in equal parts, but select turfy loam. 
Pot very firmly, allowing only a small shift and let 
the pots be thoroughly well crocked. After the 
operation place them in a shady part and keep them 
syringed twice or thrice a day. 
Forced plants, or plants lately forced, should 
now be plunged out in a shady border and should be 
kept supplied with water.— J. H. D. 
