328 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 19, 1901. 
Hints for ||mateurs. 
HARDY AND HALF HARDY ANNUALS. 
Balsams.—These somewhat formal, herbaceous 
annuals, with their profusion of rosette flowers, are 
not so frequently grown in the open borders as in 
pots; revertheless they are showy subjects in well 
dug, rich soiled beds. There are, at least, a dozen 
different shades in which they can be had, and 
provided one's garden is favourably situated, a bed 
or plot of Balsams might well be decided on for a 
change. Sow the seeds in pans about the beginning 
of April, merely covering them, and the pans should 
be placed in a pit having a temperature of 6o p to 
65°. The seedlings may either be potted singly into 
3-in. pots, or pricked into deep boxes about 4 in. 
apart. Gradually harden them off from the middle 
of May, and plant out about the first of June. 
Fibrous rooted Begonias.—A strain of dwarf 
fibrous roofed Begonias unsurpassed for bedding 
purposes, has been brought into prominence of late 
years by the Reading Royal Seed firm. These 
miniature bedding Begonias are a selection in the 
first instance from B. semperflorens, and resemble 
the type in all respects. They are perhaps even 
more bushy and floriferous. Though strictly speak¬ 
ing they are perennials, yet the fact that they can be 
easily raised from seeds and flowered within four 
months, may stand as a reason for treating of them 
under the title of annuals. A sowing made immedi¬ 
ately will provide bedding plants to make a show in 
the month of June. 
Bartonia aurea — In this hardy annual the 
gardener has a very desirable plant. The flowers 
may be called large, being about in. across, very 
pleasant to look upon, and satisfying in their rich¬ 
ness of golden-yellow. As the plant is hardy a 
sowing may be made at any time after March. 
Browallia elata.—Here we have a most delight¬ 
ful blue flowered annual, which attains iS in. in 
height, and is elegant, showy, and very useful. I 
like to see it in goodly-sized plots toward the front of 
the herbaceous plant border. B. speciosa major 
furnishes a splendid annual for pot culture. The 
most favoured position should be selected for 
Browallia elata. 
Eccremocarpus. — The Eccremocarpus or Cal- 
ampelis scaber, as it is sometimes called, is useful 
where fast growing and showy trellis plants are 
desired. It can be grown in all gardens, small or 
large, as indeed, can any of the plants I am now 
writing of. The tubular flowers are in trusses, and 
when well grown in a sunny place they are orange- 
scarlet in colour. This is a very handsome plant, 
and might well be tried by those who have not 
hitherto grown it. The seeds should be sown indoors 
at the end of March to be potted on and finally 
hardened off for transplanting in Jane. The foliage 
is also very attractive. The plant grows 10 ft. 
high. 
Annual Larkspurs.—I need not write much about 
these. They are very easy to cultivate, and can 
either be sown in the open border where they are to 
flower, or in boxes about March to be transplanted 
out of doors in April. When finally transplanted or 
thinned they should stand 4 in. to 6 in. apart either 
way. It is the best plan to keep the colours by 
themselves, that is, do not mix the varieties, though 
if mixed packets of seeds are bought this is unavoid¬ 
able. I once saw a long border filled with the dwarf 
Rocket Larkspurs in a dry, sunny Kentish garden, 
and from that day to this I have advocated the 
claims of the annual Larkspurs. 
Leptosyne Douglasii.—Though this is one of'the 
brightest and sweetest of the annual Composite 
flowers (like a golden Cosmos) known to me it does 
not seem to have been noticed by any of the nursery¬ 
men, as not even the large firms catalogue it. L. 
Stillmanii, however, may be taken in place of it; 
both are much alike. They are 6 in. to 12 in. high, 
and have golden-yellow heads. If your own seeds¬ 
man has not the certain varieties you want, if he is 
a business and obliging man at all, he will procure 
them for you through ordering of another house. It 
is always well, even for amateur gardeners with only 
small gardens, to have such a catalogue as Sutton’s, 
Carter's, Veitch’s, or any of those well-arranged 
publications of other seedsmen. 
Giant Hemp.—While we name great numbers of 
showy flowering annuals, it would be faulty were we 
to overlook the ornamental foliage subjects. Few 
plants are more worthy of distinction than the Giant 
Hemp, growing 5 ft. to 6 ft. high, with green divided 
leaves and finger-like leaflets. Sow seeds in the 
open border in May, and thin out the young plants. 
The Ice Plant.—A well grown Ice plant is quite 
an object of wonder in any garden, not because well 
grown plants are scarce, but the full peculiarities of 
this remarkable plant are then fully seen. Some 
folks have called Mesembryanthemum cordifolium 
the Ice plant, but this is wide of the mark. The Ice 
plant is Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, a species 
with ovate, undulating leaves, and covered with 
pellucid, glittering beads like ice drops. When once 
seen it can never be mistaken. It grows procum- 
bently, and does not occupy much space. Sow the 
seeds in a gentle heat during March, planting out 
the seedlings in good soil, in a sunny part of the 
rockery or border. 
Ornamental Kale.—It is rather a pity that more 
attention is not paid to the merits and decorative 
qualities of the ornamental Kale. Miss Hope of 
Wardie, one of the greatest of the old Scotch lady 
gardeners, used to have the finest collection in the 
Kingdom. I had the pleasure of seeing the remnant 
of her collection at one of the Edinburgh shows 
about half a dozen years ago, and I would like to 
know if any one around Edinburgh has a stock of 
these at the present time. Some of tbe large houses 
offer a few ornamental kinds of Kale for garnishing 
purposes. I think a large massive, well designed 
bed would take well in some of our public parks ; it 
would certainly be uncommon. 
Ornamental Grasses.—The recognised ornamental 
grasses should not be awanting in any garden where 
a square foot or two of land can be afforded. The 
Quaking Grass, Briza maxima; Bromus brizae- 
formis, B. sterilis; the Hare-tail Grass ; Lagarus 
ovatus; the Feather Grass, Stipa pennata; and 
Oryzopsis miliacea, a plume-like hardy grass used 
for floral decorative work, are all favourite sorts. 
Lamarckia aurea ; Pennisetum longistylum, a bushy- 
headed species; Hordeum jubatum, a species of the 
Barley tribe commonly called the Squirrel-tail Grass, 
together with the very light and elegant Eragrostis 
elegans, and the graceful Agrostis nebulosa, like a 
cloud of spray, would furnish a further list of beauti¬ 
ful and distinct ornamental grasses. They can all 
be sown in the open border in April. The surface 
need only be raked and the seeds sown, these being 
covered by re-raking. A net should be spread over 
the ground to keep off birds. 
Eschscholtzias. — The E;cb-scholtz-i-as are 
amongst the richest and best annual plants of the 
Poppy order. There are named varieties, so that 
any special colour can be had by itself, or a mixed 
selection can be had. The plants are really peren¬ 
nial, but from a sowing in March plants for flower¬ 
ing in June, can be raised. As a rule seedlings 
spring up yearly from self-sown seeds. A sunny 
slope should be accorded, for the flowers only open 
when the sun shines. Tbe height of the plants is 
about 1 ft. 
Marigolds.—These deserve more notice than a 
mere note here. I will have something more to say 
about them. Meanwhile there is no special need to 
order seeds of them at present. 
White Mignonette.—The white Mignonette, 
Reseda alba, grows fully two feet high, so that in 
ore pariicular it differs from most of its neighbours. 
It is remarkably fragrant; is a capital bee-flower, 
lasts well into autumn, and is conspicuous either iu 
the borders or in vases. I have seen it flourishing in 
the SwaDley nurseries. It does not seem to have 
made much headway, but as a hardy and variously 
useful border annual, it might be more widely 
patronised. 
Nycferinia selaginoides.—This is one of the 
sweetest and showiest of the very dwarf annuals. 
Happily it is well known and largely used for edging 
purposes. The flowers are star-like, white with an 
orange eye, and the plant only attains 3 in. or 4 in. 
in height. Sow in a gentle heat in March and prick 
out into boxes, or sow out of doors in May. 
Poppies.—Iceland Poppies, Shirley Poppies, 
Paeony flowered Poppies, the Alpine Poppy, and 
the double forms of the common Corn Poppy, which 
receive the special names of Carnation, Picotee, and 
Ranunculus flowered Poppies, are all bright and 
welcome flowers in the garden during summer. 
They are all easily grown. Newly made rockeries 
that are not fully planted, or newly filled shrubbery 
borders with more vacant space than one wishes to 
see, may easily be furnished by sowing a few hand¬ 
fuls of Poppies. 
Annual Chrysanthemums.— These are very 
popular in smaller gardens, though personally I do 
not care for them. Sow in a gentle heat in March 
and prick the seedlings into boxes 
Maize.—Tbe Maize is hardy enough to succeed 
well in any part of the British Isles if planted out 
of doors in June. In the south it could be put out 
in May. As a pot plant it finds a large amount of 
favour. There are numerous varieties of the Maize 
(Zea Mays), but the stripe leaved one is most orna¬ 
mental. It is largely employed in sub-tropical 
bedding in the London parks, along with Cannas, 
Araucarias, Cordylines, and Ricinus. Sow the seeds 
early in March and plant out when the season is 
reasonably fit. Among other " common " names the 
Maize has those of Indian Corn, Mealies, Guinea or 
Turkey Wheat. 
Humea elegans.—For pot use seeds of this grace¬ 
ful and anomalous Composite may now be sown. 
Large plants in flower with their drooping trusses 
find favour when planted in the select herbaceous 
border, or in the centre of flower beds, when the soil 
has become warmed in June.— Beacon. 
Correspondence. 
Questions ashed by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
A nyone 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. 
How many known species of plants are there?— 
Beginner : W hen the Genera Plantar unt was published 
it was reckoned that there were a little under 
100,000 good species. Introductions and recently 
discovered species would bring the list up to the 
above figure. Some authorities would reckon a 
larger number of species. 
What is the richest natural Manure ?— Andrew 
Tait: By this we understand you to mean a natural 
manure that is obtainable in some quantity from 
stock kept in this country. Fowl manure then is 
very rich; it is four to six times richer in its dry 
state than the best farmyard dung. The percentages 
of the three most essential constitutents of plant life, 
that is, of nitrogen, phosphates, and potash, in 
fowl manure per ton, are : nitrogen, 18 lb. to 25 lb.; 
12 lb. to 24 lb. of phosphate, and 6 lb. to 12 lb. of 
potash. Ia good dung there are 10 lb. to 12 lb. of 
nitrogen, about the same of potash, and from 4 lb. 
to 6 lb. of phosphates. Some of the artificial guancs 
of course are largely composed of the dried drop¬ 
pings of sea birds with the addition of some 
chemicals. Pigeon manure again is double the 
value of the poultry manure. Those that we have 
mentioned are rich natural manures. The values of 
the excreta of sheep, horses, pigs, and cows follow 
in this order. Pure night soil is also of very high 
value, and it is a great waste of riches to think that 
so much sewage is lost to the land. Poultry manure 
may be given at the rate of $ lb. to 1 lb. (dry) per 
sq. yard. 
Subjects suitable for forming Hedges.— J. R. 
Thorn, Beech, Hornbeam, Yew, Holly, Briers, 
Arbor-Vitae, Privet, Euonymus japonicus, and looser 
hedges can be formed of Mock Orange, Diervillas, 
and other flowering shrubs. These latter are more 
for ornament than shelter or other utility. 
Best varieties of Sweet Peas.— L. T. : Amongst 
those that were most in favour at the conference 
held at the Crystal Palace in July last, were:— 
Salopian, Gorgeous, Sadie Burpee, Duchess of 
Sutherland, Sensation, Prince Edward of York, 
Navy Blue, Fascination, Countess Cadogan, Mars, 
Lady G. Hamilton, Alick Eckford, Venus, Primrose, 
Mrs. Eckford, Black Knight, Othello, Lovely, 
Royal Rose, Aurora, Grey Friar, and Prince of 
Wales. 
Verbena Miss Wilmott.-— A.: This beautiful 
Verbena was selected and raised by Miss Wilmott, 
of Warley Place, who is an enthusiastic garden 
lover. It can be raised from seeds, but to keep it 
irue, plants from cuttings are recommended. As a 
pot plant for early decorative use, or again for late 
autumn, it is a valuable subject. 
