August as. 1966. THE GARDENING WORLD. 821 
LEAF versus SHOOT PROPAGATION. 
Up to now the correspondence favours the latter 
method of increasing the stock of Begonia Gloire de 
Lorraine, though in your issue of the 18th inst. Mr. 
Dick plainly says leaf propagation is by all means 
the best. Now as the proof of the pudding is in the 
eating, I venture to suggest that a plant struck or 
rooted from the leaf early in the present year, should 
be forwarded to the genial, and I am sure, unbiassed 
Editor of The Gardening World, for his opinion 
as to which is the best flowered specimen about 
the middle of November when the earliest batch 
should be at its best. Perhaps Mr. Dick could beg 
a speaimen from his expert friend for the purpose, 
and I will willingly forward a plant that has been 
rooted from a young growth that pushed from the 
stem of an old plant after being cut down within 4 in. 
from the soil. Most of your correspondents seem to 
think that we unsuccessful leaf propagators failed 
through damping of the same. Such was not the 
case with me. The majority callused, formed roots, 
in quantity too, but failed to form a leading growth ; 
and when I threi^ them away in disgust most of 
them were as perfect as when put in two months 
previously. I presume that leaf specimens can be 
easily distinguished fron shoot specimens, because 
the former require no pinching. Miae have all been 
pinched twice, and not a few thrice.— J. Mayne, 
Bicten. 
PACKING GRAPES. 
There may be some young readers of The Garden¬ 
ing World to whom a few hints on this subject may 
be useful. I write more especially of packing Grapes 
for transit by Parcel Post. Boxes from 14 in. to 16 
in. long, 8 in. wide, and 5 in. deep, will be found 
most suitable, as if larger they are liable when 
filled to be found over weight; should they be 
required larger, add to width or length, not to 
depth. Wadding, which can be purchased in sheets, I 
have found the best material for covering the bunches. 
This should be pi iced carefully round them, then 
placed in the box, and as the work proceeds fill all 
spaces with paper shavings, wood wool, or fine wood 
shavings such as foreign eggs are sometimes packed 
in ; either of these materials will do equally well. 
The bunches should always be packed as tightly as 
possible, and when the box Is filled it will even then 
be found that by slightly tapping the box endways 
on the bench they can be shaken together more 
closely, and the space filled in with packing materia'. 
If these simple directions are carried out the Grapes 
will be found to arrive at their destination in splen¬ 
did condition. I have tried enveloping the bunches 
in tissue paper and afterwards in wadding, but have 
found it not nearly so satisfactory as wadding alone, 
especially for Parcel Post, where they have to pass 
through so many hands — G. Robins, The Gardens, 
Dudley House, Springrove, Isleworth. 
- 4 *- 
PRESENT WORK 
Consists in shaking out old plants of Cyclamen that 
have been rested, repotting into similar or a trifle 
larger size pot, using as a compost good loam, leaf- 
soil, a little soot and plenty of coarse silver or river- 
sand, avoiding manure of any kind, as I am inclined 
to think this in some way or other favours the 
growth of the maggot, so often found in the corms. 
Pot fairly firm and place in a cold frame, shading 
from the sun and syringing overhead morniDg and 
evening, giving little or no ventilation for a fortnight 
or so. We are also putting our batch of double 
white Primulas into 4 -in. and 4f-in. pets with a 
similar compost, preferring to feed when e-tablished 
in both instances. The latter requ’re plenty cf 
space to prevent spindly growth, as well as plenty 
of air and a light shade from 9 a m. to 4 p.m. 
Judgment is required at all times in waterieg both 
the above named plants. We are about a month 
later than usual with the Primulas, owing to their 
slowness in filling their pots with roots, so are keep- 
ing them to smaller size pots, and we find they grow 
and flower quite as well as when placed in 5J-in. and 
6-in. pots. Cold frames with ash bottoms suit these 
for the next two months, keeping all near ‘he gloss. 
— Grower. 
MICHAUXIA CAMPANULOIDES. 
The above is a conspicuous hardy biennial, much re¬ 
sembling a giant Campanula in the habit of growth 
and other characters. It is indeed, a closely-allied 
genus to the Campanula. The plant, in habit like a 
Canterbury Bell, mounts up to five, six, and seven 
feet high and has a profuse crop of whitish, drooping 
flowers as large at those of a Passion-flower, and re¬ 
volute segments to the corolla. There are a few good 
species of Michauxia, and they thrive in sheltered 
places in friable garden soil. M. campanuloides is 
a native of the Levant. Usually seeds are sown on 
sunny borders in the month of April, and the plants 
placed in their flowering quarters either the same 
year or early the following spring. They are worthy 
of attention. 
- mtm.. 
ABOUT CULINARY PEAS. 
In the majority of places this is by far the most 
important vegetable, and to have a plentiful supply 
for as long a period as possible is the endeavour ot 
every good gardener. As a rule the large podded 
varieties are not nearly so profitable as those of 
medium size. Also the tall growers are unsuitable 
unless the supply of good stakes is ample, for I may 
point out that where the straw grows much longer 
than the stakes, the tops fold over and smother the 
under pods and in short are most unsatisfactory. I 
would, therefore, advise medium growing varieties. 
Some of the dwarf kinds are very prolific, and of 
excellent quility. For early use in our late locality 
I find nothing to beat William I. It is hardy, 
prolific, and of fair quality. I cannot sow here 
earlier than March 10th. A fortnight later a sowing 
of Gradus makes a fine succession, and a row of 
Laxton's Fillbasket, sown at the same time, keeps up 
the succession. After that an excellent guide for 
successive sowings is to make a fresh sowing as soon 
as the last appears through the soil. Keep this up 
till about the end of June, and the supply should 
last till frost puts a stop to the yield. Along with 
the varieties already named, Dr. McLean (most 
excellent but goes old very quickly), Best of All, 
G. F. Wilson, Ne Plus Ultra, Sturdy (a particularly 
fine and prolific Pea), Veitch's Perfection and 
Walker's Perpetual Bearer are splendid. Wm. 
Hurst among dwarfs would be hard to beat. These 
are nearly all old varieties, but for quality and 
quantity they have loDg proved to be in the front 
rank.— C. Blair, Binny, Uphall, N.B. 
FRUIT UNDER GLASS, 
Peaches and Nectarines. —Where the lights have 
been removed from the earliest forced houses (and 
all Peach houses should be so constructed as to 
allow such removal) the recent rains have greatly 
refreshed the trees. With well-drained b rders, no 
harm results, even though there be a heavy fall of 
rain. Those borders which have to be hand 
watered must not be allowed to lack at this time, nor 
so long as the wood is forming and firming should 
manurial nourishment, supplied in liquid form, be 
forgotten. Early forced trees do not make much 
strong growth, so that very little pruning is needed. 
All the ventilation possible should be given. The 
same rules apply with houses just ripening their 
crops, but, of course, a much less ameunt of water 
is needed. On very hot, arid days the paths and 
borders may be damped down. Later houses may 
be syringed twice on each sunny day and should te 
otherwise treated as advised in earlier calendars. 
Vines. —To prevent the possibility of the bunches 
being exposed to the influence of the night dews, 
now that the evenings and mornings are becoming 
chilly, a drier atmosphere must be maintained by 
means of the hot-water pipes. Damping down in 
the afternoon, unless on very warm days, need not 
be done. Where the bunches are now colouring or 
finishing colour, more warmth and a moving air is 
very necessary for the proper finishing of the berries. 
Before the colouring had advanced beyond the first 
tinge, a thorough soaking was recommended to be 
given, so that now the Vines need not be in want. It 
the bunches are required for use soon, they may be 
left and cut as wanted from the Vin"s. But where 
they are thoroughly ripe and not presently required, 
it may be necessary to cut them. The flavour no 
doubt is better when they can be allowed to remain 
but they are generally more liable to damping and 
other ailments. All late keeping Grapes are best 
ripened in warmth. A protection either against 
dust or the sun’s rays, may be provided for early 
Grapes now fully ripe, by fixing a sort of collar of 
stiffish paper above the shoulders of the bunch. 
The night temperature for Muscats, &c., now ripen¬ 
ing, should not be under 70° and may be at least 10 0 
higher during the day with safety. Lateral growths 
should in a large measure be cut out as made, but it 
is not wise to be too severe in piuoing off all the 
laterals, for they aid in drawing up nourishment to 
the developing bunches. Pot Vines may be placed 
outside. 
Figs. — Sometimes Figs on outside walls can be 
got to ripen a few fruits. The position, however, 
must be warm, the trees in good condition, well 
nourished and attended to in thinning-out and tyiDg- 
in. Trees under glass should constantly be supplied 
with quantities of water and nourishment. It does 
so much matter in what state of advancement the 
crops may be. As a rule they are in all stages of 
development, but care should be taken not to water 
if possible when there is a large part of the crop 
upon the point of ripeniog, else they quickly burst 
Melons. —It is only necessary to watch that 
canker does not nip off the plants before the crop 
can be ripened. If they can be kept free from this 
malady, and clean, the Melons are pretty sure both 
to set and to swell all right. Support, by means of 
a net and piece of flat board, any of the fruits which 
are heavy. Give them plenty of light, though 
neither shade nor much ventilation is required, 
unless just as they are finishing, when sun and air 
is beneficial. Cucumbers like plenty of feeding 
and heat and moisture.— J. H. D. 
-« » — 
Tne Orctiifl Growers’ calendar. 
Cypripediums. —If there is a difficulty in growing 
some of the other genera of Orchids satisfactorily in 
and around large manufacturing centres, it is not so 
with Cypripediums. As a matter of fact it is in the 
north, and very near to the metropolis that you find 
them grown and flowerei to perfection. This then 
would seem to point to their being found in their 
native habitats growing in dense forests where but 
little sun penetrates, and the atmo-phere in conse¬ 
quence is never what we may call dry. The heat, 
too, is of one uniform temperature throughout the 
whole year, and on that account the majority of 
them should be accommodated with ap sitionin 
the warm division. Tne potting season extends over 
a lengthened period, for apart from their being in 
full flower they miy be repotted at any time. 
Generally speaking, they may be potted at this 
season when root action is at its height. Pot 
culture suits them best as they require a liberal 
amount of rooting material, for the roots go dowD. 
There are others that are surface rooting, and are 
best grown in pans. There are so many hybrids 
now that it is difficult to particularise, but most of 
them are similar in constitution to one or other of 
the parents, or both, that their requirements may to 
some extent be gauged. 
Peat, loam, chopped sphagnum, and coarse silver 
sand, will suit the majority, but the Selenipedium 
section we think prefers peat to loam. The drainage 
must be ample on account of their moisture loving 
tendencies, which should ba afforded them at all 
times, as they need but little rest, and having no 
pseudobulbs cannot stand being kept dry. 
The good old friend C. insigne will do well when 
grown in what we may term a cool condition, and, of 
course, also the hybrids from it to a certain extent, 
and so will C. vlllosum, especially during the 
summer months. 
The concolor and niveum group require a fair 
amount of heat all the year round, although they do 
not want to be coddled under a bell glass as we used 
to think. The foliage of this species is surely the 
most beautiful of them all, and it is appreciated even 
when out of flower. 
General Work. —The syringe just now is in 
great request for spraying the plants over head as 
well as supplying the necessary moisture to the 
majority of the plants, and s^ou'd be kept going 
while hot weather lasts.— S. C. 
