September 29, 1900. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
69 
“When is a Butterfly like a Kiss "?—"When it 
lights on (two) Tulips." 
School Gardens.—An interesting experiment has 
been on foot at Boscombe with the object of direct¬ 
ing school boys in gardening. Unfortunately, as it 
seems to us, the scheme comes under the control of 
the local schoolmaster, who, unless he knows much 
more of horticulture than schoolmasters usually do, 
is not likely to be more successful with the boys than 
in amusing them. Nobody can doubt that working- 
class boys yet at school are better in every way for 
such manual exercise as horticultural operations 
involve; and gardening is a craft which is as well 
entitled to be taught at the public cost as some other 
occupations for which the technical education 
grants are available. 
The Sale of Poisons —Referring to a paragraph 
under the above heading in last week's issue of your 
journal, I notice that your correspondents say: 
" Attention has been drawn in several of the horti¬ 
cultural papers to the inconvenience of being 
compelled to purchase Weed Killer and insecticides 
from ordinary chemists. Your readers will be 
interested to know that we have now obviated this 
difficulty by establishing a wholesale and retail manu¬ 
facturing chemistry department under the manage¬ 
ment of a qualified pharmaceutical chemist." Your 
correspondents have doubtless by this enterprise 
placed themselves for the time being on the right 
side of the law for retailing purposes, but it must be 
remembered that they can only supply direct to 
their customers and not through an agent. How 
then does the consumer benefit ? He must pay the 
carriage of the goods from your correspondents’ 
factory; and how do the seedsman and the florist 
benefit? They can be left to answer the question 
themselves. Your correspondents have simply by 
their action enrolled themselves on the side of the 
chemist whose monopoly the T. in P. or P. C. for 
T. or T. P. P. Society are seeking to overthrow, in 
order that gardeners, florists, seedsmen, and others 
may obtain and sell these compounds equally with 
the chemist, but under proper restrictions. How 
then can your correspondents be helping horticul¬ 
ture ? They are not. On the contrary they are 
helping the chemists’ monopoly by upholding it. 
The aims and objects of this society you have 
already in former issues of your valuable journal been 
so good as to put before your readers, and therefore 
it only remains for me to inform them that we are 
making strong headway with our work, and have 
overcome many of the difficulties that at the 
commencement of our short career appeared almost 
unsurmountable. But much remains to be done. 
Will your readers help us and so help themselves ? 
Copies of the proposed Bill and of the petition in 
support thereof, together with any further informa¬ 
tion on the subject may be bad upon application to 
me.— T. G. Dobbs, Secretary The Traders in Poisons or 
Poisonous Compounds for Technical or Trade Purpeses 
Protection Society; Offices, 5, Clement's Inn, Strand, 
London, W. C. 
iARDening miscellany. 
ELYMUS GIGANTEUS. 
The Elymuses or "Bunch-Grasses " are handsome 
plants for certain appropriate parts of the hardy 
plant garden. There are a number of species of 
which the one under notice is the tallest and 
probably most popular. The foliage is J in. broad, 
quite glaucous and bushy like a Miscanthus or the 
Pampas Grass. The flower spikes are erect and 
tall, resembling those of Wheat. In height these 
spikes go 7 ft. Such a plant when properly used is 
of great value to the gardener who plants for effect. 
E. arenarius is considerably dwarfer than E. gigan- 
teus, and is used on the seashore in places and on 
different spots where something is required to bind 
the sand together. Increased by seeds or by divi¬ 
sion, and when planted in sandy soil they do well. 
of medium size, with a smooth skin, free from spots, 
of good colour, and a heavy cropper. As a nice 
eating Tomato this should find a place. 
ACAENA MICROPHYLLA. 
To the lover of alpine plants the above is an 
interesting and pretty little subject. It is quite dis¬ 
tinct ; I can liken it to nothing else I am acquainted 
with. Growing close upon the earth in the " canny " 
nooks of a sunny rockery, a patch of this Acaena 
with its reddish spinous fruits which almost hide the 
minute Brier-like brown leaves, is an object worthy of 
a second and a third inspection. It is a native of 
New Zealand, and proves quite hardy in any latitude 
of our isles. It is not partial to any special soil, 
though it, in common with many other alpines, 
prefers a well-drained loam. Propagation is chiefly 
accomplished by dividing the plants. Its vigour and 
hardiness are vouched for by the fact that it is used 
as a surface shelter plant for outdoor Orchids, and 
tender bulbous subjects. As an edging plant it also 
is useful. A. microphylla is the most ornamental of 
the genus, which contains some forty species, 
natives all over the South Sea Islands, South 
America, and upward to Mexico.— D. 
TOMATO "TWENTIETH CENTURY." 
At the autumn show of the Royal Horticultural 
Society of Ireland, held recently, there was exhibited 
a new variety of Tomato, named “Twentieth 
Century." This was staged by Messrs. Hogg and 
Robertson, of Mary Street, Dublin. The variety is 
URGENT WORK, 
Of which there is much to be done just now, 
includes thinning out Mignonette that has been 
sown in pots 3 in. to 4 in. apart; and the same might 
be said of Rhodanihes which are very bright in early 
spring, and last a long time fresh if kept from damp 
in the greenhouse. The species of Schizanthus 
make a grand show if grown well. The thinnings of 
the latter can be planted in pots if an increase of 
stock is wished for, but the two former are much 
better sown in the pots they are to flower in. Pot up 
Calceolarias from boxes, keeping close for a few days 
and shaded from the sun, as well as fairly moist 
Repot the latest batch of Cinerarias, 6-in. and 7-in. 
pots being large enough to grow fine specimens. 
Guard against green fly establishing itself on these 
plants, as well as the small grub or leaf miner on the 
last named, which soon disfigure the foliage. They 
usually lodge at the back of the leaf. Give Calanthes 
all the sun and light possible, and if much scale 
abounds sponge with clean water and feed with cow 
or deer water fairly diluted. Get Bouvardias and 
tree Carnations into the greenhouse, giving plenty of 
light and air. Richardias in pots require plenty of 
water and an open position. The same remarks 
apply to Salvias, Eupatoriums, Solanums, Marguer¬ 
ites, and Libonlas.— Grower. 
“ CUT FLOWERS.” 
Twenty or thirty years ago, gardeners in large 
places bad quite a craze for collecting all sorts of 
plants, whether they were useful for making a dis¬ 
play in the houses or for cutting, if they had only 
some curious point either in the foliage or flower; 
but flowers were not so extravagantly used then for 
table decorations. As a general rule, a few glasses 
in the dining room, and some vases in the drawing 
room were all that was required ; but in these times 
we must supply the house with sheaves of flowers 
instead of a basketful, as almost all the rooms and 
lobbies have different sizes of glasses and vases to be 
filled. To meet this demand, it is imperative that 
we discard all rubbish, and grow profusely all good 
useful stuff for cutting. Batches of esch of the 
following in their seasons are excellent tor this pur¬ 
pose For spring months : bush-trained Chrysanth¬ 
emums, Bouvardias, Eucharis grandiflora, Sparman- 
nia africana, Hyacinths, Tulips, Azaleas, Callas, 
Cyclamen, Tea Roses, Primula obconica and Nar¬ 
cissus. For summer : Gypsophila, Pelargoniums, 
Gloxinias, Pinks, Spanish Iris, Pyrethrums, East 
Lothian Stocks, Spiiaeas, Campanula persicifolia, 
Roses and Sweet Peas. From August onwards: 
Anemone japonica, Carnations, Gaillardias, Be¬ 
gonias, Comet Asters, Gladioli, Montbretias, Cactus 
and single Dahlias, Ivy Geraniums, Early Chrys¬ 
anthemums and Michaelmas Daisies. Late Chrys¬ 
anthemums and Christmas Roses will fill up the gap 
till the Snowdrops appear. For small glasses, 
Freesias and Sweet Violets are useful. Asparagus 
of sorts is splendid for greenery intermixture at aDy 
time of the year.— John C. Dick, Champfleurie House, 
Linlithgow. 
CARNATION DUCHESS OF FIFE. 
I herewith send photograph of one of our borders 
of this beautiful Carnation. I also enclose a hand¬ 
ful of flowers which I consider very good at this time 
of year (September 24th). This is the sixth year 
they have been grown in the same border, and they 
are, I think, better this year than ever I had them. 
To ensure success the border gets a good, liberal 
dressing of Melon-bed manure. After the layers 
are lifted this is dug in deeply, and the surface 
allowed to remain rough during winter. Before 
planting I give a dressing of superphosphates and 
dissolved bones, and about two or three weeks after 
planting a sprinkling of sulphate of ammonia between 
the rows is given, and repeated again when throwing 
up their flower shoots. I generally layer a batch 
about the end of July. These are at present carry¬ 
ing flower stems with buds. I have them lifted 
and potted to do duty in the Carnation house during 
winter and spring; then they are planted out in one 
principal Carnation border (which has a roof of glass 
over it), where they grow into very large plants, 
between 4 ft. and 5 it. high, and flower most pro¬ 
fusely.— A. D., Kilmarnock. 
PROPAGATING BY LEAF CUTTINGS. 
A large number of plants of different classes can be 
propagated by taking off a leaf, full-grown prefer¬ 
ably, and laying it on damp soil, or cocoanut fibre, 
in a fairly warm greenhouse or in a stove. For 
instance, various Begonias may be propagated in 
this way, such as Begonia Rex in variety, Begonia 
Gloire de Lorraine, &c. Then, agaiD, with such 
tuberous-rooted plants as Gloxinias and Achimenes, 
if a good seedling is obtained and one wishes to 
increase the stock of it pure, what is easier than to 
strike a few leaves in a stove, as they strike readily, 
even on the shingle frequently used on stages in green¬ 
houses, &c. Another plant with a leaf of somewhat 
similar texture, and capable of this method of propa¬ 
gation, is that charming little plant, Saintpaulia 
ionantha, which, with its abundance of pale blue 
flowers, makes a very pretty plant in a 3^-in. pot. 
Rochea falcata, a succulent plant bearing a large 
inflorescence of bright scarlet flowers, also, may be 
propagated by leaf cuttings, similarly to the above- 
mentioned plants, as may many plants of the natural 
order, Crassulaceae. Bryophyllum calycinum and 
B. proliferum may be propagated similarly, though 
the latter is, perhaps, more usually propagated by 
seed, and by small bulbils, which arise in the axils 
of the leaves. Besides these flowering plants, some 
Ferns can be propagated by the leaves, as a full- 
grown frond of some of the Shield Ferns (\spidium) 
will produce young plants all along the midrib, in 
the axils of the pinnae; if treated similarly to the 
above-mentioned plants, but in a lower temperature 
it may be done. — C. J. G 
SHRUBBY SPIRAEAS. 
As soon as the present dry weather breaks up, our 
attention will be turned towards planting hardy 
shrubs. Planting early cannot be too strongly 
advised, for the plants get settled for the winter, and 
"first come, first served" cannot be better applied 
than to a nurseryman’s stock. Though not so 
common in gardens as one would like to fiud them, 
the Spiraeas are amongst the most beautiful and 
graceful. They prefer a rich loam and plenty of 
moisture, for they are relations of t he Meadow Sweet 
(Spiraea Ulmaria) of our ditches. They are easily 
propagated by layers, cuttings in autumn, and 
division. The following species can be recom¬ 
mended :—S. lindleyana is a graceful bush 8 ft. to 
10 ft. high, with large feathery clusters of white 
flowers. It prefers a warm moist soil, and slight 
protection from cold winds in spring. S. ariaefolia 
forms a splendid specimen with sprays of small 
whitish flowers. S. Douglasii, nobleana and 
Billardierii, differ from the others in their upright 
growth, and compact clusters of red flowers, and like 
hard pruning. S. callosa (syn japonica) and variet¬ 
ies form dwarf compact bushes with rose coloured 
flowers in spreading clusters. S. Anthony Waterer 
belongs to this class and is the finest with dark red 
flowers. S. prunifolia fl. pi. is curious in having 
double flo vers produced along the whole branch in 
the axils of the leaves. S. confusa and S. Thunbergii 
form loose bushes with white flowers, which are 
useful for cutting purposes.— K. 
