November 24, 1900. 
199 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
Still another method is that of inserting cuttings 
in small pots and keeping them through the winter 
in cold frames. During next summer they can be 
grown on out of doors and will furnish young planis 
to flower during summer. 
These are the chief methods practiced at this 
season. At an earlier date soft young growths of 
the Teas and Noisettes can be struck, by placing 
them in pots of sandy soil, in a warm temperature. 
In striking, allowance must be made for losses.— J. 
PLUMBAGO ROSEA. 
This useful plant is not grown nearly as largely as 
it deserves to be. At this time of the year there is 
hardly any other plant that gives such a display in 
a warm greenhouse as this, with its long branching 
sprays of beautiful red flowers. They are always 
useful for grouping purposes, and on tables of plants 
arranged for effect they are indispensable. This was 
one of the objects Mr, J. Fulford, of Moor Hall, 
Cookham, used on his first prize table of miscel¬ 
laneous planis with telling effect at the recent 
Maidenhead Chrysanthemum show. The best way 
to grow it successfully is to get good stout cuttings 
in the spring, about 3 in. in length, and insert in 
small thumb pots, or several round a small 60, 
using a light sandy soil, and placing in a propagating 
case till rooted, after which pot in small pots, and 
keep them growing in a warm house or pit near the 
glass. When the pots are well filled with roots, pot 
into large 6o’s and 48’s size pots. These will be 
found most useful for decorative purposes. Old 
plants should be cut back in the spring and potted 
up. These will come in handy for cuttings, &c., as. 
long shoots of these are exceedingly pretty, mixed 
with other cut flowers. Potting compost should 
consist chiefly of fibrous loam with a little peat or 
leaf mould added, and sufficient sand to keep it 
porous. Greenfly must be kept under.— John 
Botley, Blythewood Gardens, Maidenhead. 
BULB PLANTING. 
In many places these are not all put in the ground 
yet, and to those who would appreciate a good show 
in the early spring kindly allow me space to advo¬ 
cate their being planted in the turf more than is 
generally met with. Crocuses in variety do grandly 
with us on north and east slopes, and under large 
isolated trees whose bottom branches are gone, and 
where light and sun can have access to thoroughly 
ripen up their growth after flowering, and so do the 
feathered Hyacinths, and very pretty, too, springing 
up from a carpet of grass. We use a trowel for the 
work, merely removing a small piece of turf and 
placing the bulbs from 2 in. to 3 in. deep, and 4 in. 
apart, putting back the turf again after planting. 
The secret of success is in not cutting away the grass 
like growths until it is thoroughly ripe, which is not 
often the case until well into June.— J. Mayne, 
Bicton. 
STARWORTS. 
These are among the most precious autumn flower 
ing plants. When boldly massed on the border they 
are effective. The flowers rich yet cool in their 
various shades of colour are more lovely when seen 
above and amongst evergreen shrubs. Aster acris, 
one of the earliest to bloom, is quite dwarf, with soft 
purple-lilac flowers almost hiding its tiny leaves. 
Another good kind is Aster Amellus, especially the 
larger form, bessarabicus, of which the flowers are 
deep purple-blue, having orange centres. Charming 
in their way are Aster diffusus horizontalis, red and 
white flowers ; A. ericoides, white ; A: longifolius 
roseus, rose ; the profuse-blooming and white- 
flowered A. polyphyllus ; A. turbinellus, lavender; 
and the white A. puniceus. Aster Novi-Belgii gives 
many beautiful varieties, not the least attractive 
being Purity, whose flowers are the purest white 
and freely-produced. A splendid form, Arcturus, 
has flowers of deepest blue and pretty dark green 
foliage. Archer Hinds, soft blue; Harpur Crewe, 
white, yellow centre; and Robert Parker, are also 
varieties of great beauty. The last-named grows 
tall and has large lavender-coloured flowers. Roseus 
and William Bowman are the two best varieties of 
Aster Novae-Angliae. The Christmas Aster grandi- 
florus is seldom seen at its best outdoors, owing to 
severe weather, but if lifted and brought into the 
greenhouse, no plant gives a better reward for so 
little trouble.— Henry H. Gibson, The Gardens, Glen- 
cairn, Belfast. 
— —*»- 
STRAWBERRY-GROWING IN THE 
PHILIPPINES. 
Early this year a young lady started from Maine, 
attracted by the announcement that canned Straw¬ 
berries were fetching 10s. a pint in Manilla. Confi¬ 
dent that the description of the soil and climate 
would suit Strawberries, she embarked £100 
(5C0 dols.) in the venture. She secured two acres 
of excellent land in a high rolling locality, with 
natural drainage, and set hopefully to work, plough¬ 
ing, making rows, and setting out runners, which 
she had brought with her. So far they have done 
remarkably well, few vacancies occurring, and her 
whole first crop has already been engaged. She 
finds that there will be even a greater demand than 
she has anticipated, and will extend her borders 
greatly, endeavouring also to secure a succession of 
berries through an entire season. It seems to me 
that there may be something in this that would be 
worth our young gardeners' while taking up. 
Unquestionably there are great possibilities for 
traffic in hitherto unknown lines in these islands. 
Many soldiers when discharged have remained and 
gone into business there. Of course, in time, fruit 
culture there will be overrun, like everything else, 
but now there ought to be plenty of room. Vege¬ 
tables also ought to be easy of culture, and ought to 
find a ready market among the many white settlers, 
who have their hands full otherwise, and very high 
prices would be obtainable, while land is cheap and 
fertile.— C. Macquarie, Chicago. 
-«*■- 
SEAKALE AND RHUBARB 
Will soon be required in the kitchen, and if not 
forthcoming during the next month or so, pity the 
poor gardener at the hands of the cook. In many 
places a start will have already been made, but a 
good deal depends upon the convenience at hand 
where they can be forced. The two are bracketed to¬ 
gether as amenable to the same treatment, and 
various methods are adopted for procuring the first 
few batches, both requiring more heat at this .date 
than when the new year is with us. For several 
years past our first few gatherings have been had 
from the top of a roomy stokehole made similar to a 
large corn hutch, making sure it excludes all light 
and dust, covering the roots lightly with sifted leaf 
soil, and syringing every morning with fairly warm 
water. The Kale should be ready to cut within a 
month, the Rhubarb taking from a fortnight to 
three weeks longer. In another three weeks we 
shall force them both under a large heap of freshly 
gathered leaves, a kind of hut being made to keep 
the leaves up, and that we may get in and out a 
doorway is made on the south side. Here the pro¬ 
duce comes to perfection and in much quicker time. 
The crowns must be kept moist or the produce will be 
far from tender.— Grower. 
• « » 
VIOLET PRINCESS OF WALES. 
This Violet is without a doubt the best single variety 
in cultivation. It possesses many good qualities, 
having long stems and large blooms of a beautiful 
light purple colour. It is very useful for decorative 
purposes, and should be grown by all gardeners. It 
should be planted in frames in September when 
Melons and Cucumbers are over. In each frame 
put about two barrow loads of soil, consisting of two 
parts loam, one part leaf mold, and one of drift sand. 
Fill the frames within a foot or 15 in. of the top, 
and plant about 9 in. apart, well watering them in. 
They should then grow without more water all 
winter. Give plenty of air on all favourable 
occasions. Keep the soil well stirred up between 
the plants, and keep all dead leaves pinched off. 
In early spring have the lights off whenever the 
weather will permit, and water once a week with 
weak manure water, or a little artificial manure may 
be given about once a fortnight. After flowering 
plant out in a north-east position about one foot 
apart. They may also be grown in pots ; pot up 
some young crowns into 32’s. At the same time as 
you plant the others out stand the pot plants in the 
open, keeping all side shoots pinched off. In 
September take them into the house where they are 
to flower in a temperature of 50° to 6o°.— H. W. 
Lewis, Hayes Village , Kent. 
■ • — —-- 
Kitcfien Garden calendar. 
Digging. —Those who took advantage of the late fine 
weather to get out manure on to all vacant ground, 
the same having been spread over the surface, may 
now proceed with digging. The importance of this 
operation cannot be too deeply impressed on the 
minds of all those who are desirous of growing first- 
olass vegetables. This is the season when prepar¬ 
ations should be made for future crops ; therefore it 
may be well to state now how we would arrange them. 
As is well known to all growers of first-class Onions, 
the ground cannot be too rich or two deeply dug for 
the roots of these gross feeders. With some it Is a 
practice to sow spring Onions on the ground from 
which the Celery was taken, but with others such 
plots are reserved for roots such as Parsnips, Carrots 
and Beet, no manure being applied at the time of 
digging- In many gardens where heavy cropping is 
practised the ground is too much occupied to admit 
of autumn digging, for the plots from which the late 
potatos were lifted are either carrying a late crop of 
Turnips, or winter Spinach. The only vacant ground 
being that from which Parsnips, Carrots, Beet and 
late Cauliflower have been taken, or that devoted to 
Runner Beans, that previously occupied with Onions, 
being planted with spring Cabbage. Digging, how¬ 
ever, may be proceeded with on all vacant ground ; 
but the manner in which this is done must greatly 
depend on the kind of soil the garden consists of. 
For example we would recommend digging light 
sandy soils as deeply as possible on the flat, leaving 
the surface smooth in order that the only thing 
necessary for spring sowing or planting would be to 
rake down the surface and sow the seed. By so 
doing the soil becomes somewhat consolidated and so 
prevents evaporation during the summer. While on 
the otherhand heavy clay and stiff loams should be left 
as rough as possible. Where trenching is properly 
carried out the soil,even of the most retentive nature, 
soon becomes workable. Many who are not accus¬ 
tomed to such work do not take out sufficient soil in the 
first instance. If it is intended to dig two spits deep 
the soil should be taken out to that depth at the com¬ 
mencement, and two spits wide. For stiff soils we 
would recommed No. 3 spades. These when new 
are quite heavy enough for any man to work with, 
though in some soils a No. 4 is not too large. When 
new these are about 12 in. long, so that if the top is 
shovelled into the bottom of the trench, and two 
spits afterwards, the soil will be dug to the depth of 
2 ft. Where the ground will admit of being moved 
we would advise going even deeper, but if the sub¬ 
soil is loosened each time the ground is dug, in the 
course of a few years there will be sufficient depth of 
good mould to grow any crop. For heavy soils the 
ground cannot be left too rough. If thrown up in 
ridges running from north to south so much the 
better, as then the sun and frost plays alike on both 
sides of them. Ground treated in this manner will 
need careful treating in spring; it must not be 
allowed to get too dry before being worked down fine 
or the clods will be so hard as to render them 
difficult to break. 
Spring Cabbage. —Owing to the soil being so 
warm these have grown apace this autumn. In case 
of severe weather it vhll be well to prick out more 
from the seed bed, that there may be no blanks. 
Early Cabbages are always appreciated, but when 
they are too forward frost frequently injures them, 
throwing them back for two or three weeks, the 
second batches being the most useful. Savoys are now 
both plentiful and good, Perfection being one of the 
best with us. As these are very apt to split, owing 
to so much wet weather, the most forward should be 
pulled up and laid in by their heels in an open shed, 
where they can remain till required for use. 
Broccoli. —Daily attention should be given to 
these, for the weather is very changeable. Any that 
show the least signs of turning in ought to be well 
protected, for after so much wet they would suffer 
seriously should frost set in. Those ready for use 
should be pulled up and taken to a cool place, where 
they may be protected from frost. Look we l to 
plants in pits, and see that plenty of air is given 
them, or they may rot in the hearts.— F. W. J. 
