THE GARDENING WORLD 
March 2, 1901. 
126 
light green leaves showing off their long spikes of 
bright scarlet berries to advantage. They do best 
if kept in small pots, giving occasional waterings of 
artificial manure. They are subject to become bare 
and unsightly at the base if grown into large speci¬ 
mens.— Walter Hogarth, Norton Gardens, Ratho, Mid¬ 
lothian. 
, . —-- 
ASTER TRADESCANTII. 
A few years ago I saw this beautiful Starwort at a 
Chrysanthemum show. The plants were grown in 
7-in. pots, and arranged along the centre of the 
tables through the hall. I was so much attracted 
by its beauty that I resolved to grow some plants 
also, and should like to commend it to the notice of 
gardeners who are readers of the Gardening World 
and who may not as yet have tried it as a pot plant. 
When I first obtained a plant of A. Tradescantii, I 
divided it and potted the pieces into 4-in. pots and 
started them in a cold frame with Chrysanthemums. 
Subsequent treatment was identical with that 
accorded to the Chrysanthemums, the plants 
growing away with three and four shoots each, 
which were fastened to neat stakes when the 
plants received their final shift in June into 10-in. 
pots. Water was needed and given in abundance, 
also weak soot water varied with liquid manure and 
the plants well syringed every evening. When in 
flower the plants were about 3 ft. high and as much 
in diameter and must have carried thousands of 
flowers. The usefulness of these sprays of small 
starry blossoms can scarcely be overestimated for 
arranging with cut Chrysanthemums or other flowers. 
As pot plants they are also of great value for room 
and conservatory decoration. Many ether Starworts 
would doubtless well repay for pot culture.— Cantab. 
THE BOSTON FERN. 
This, which is identical with our Nephrolepis 
exaltata, is one of the most popular Ferns in 
America. Among seedlings there will generally be 
found some variation, and the best means to increase 
the stock is by taking off the young offsets, which 
are produced freely when the plants are in a healthy 
growing state. Or perhaps the most rapid way to 
increase stock is to plunge a few free-growing plants 
in some suitable material where the stolons (or 
rhizomes) will spread freely and produce young 
plants in all directions. 
It was a long time before our English florists 
would take up this useful Fern, but it is now most 
extensively grown for market and good plants always 
find a ready sale. I find as a Fern for house decora¬ 
tion it will last as well as any of the popular Pterises, 
and as a basket Fern it has no rival. 
I have previously referred to the American N. 
bostoDensis and our N. exaltata being the same 
variety, and I may mention that when I once met 
Mr. Eiiele, of H. A. Dreer & Co., Philadelphia, he 
confirmed this, and I find a note to the same effect 
in the American Florist of February 2nd.— A. Hemsley. 
NEPENTHES MASTERSIANA. 
The Pitcher Plant, as this is" sometimes called, forms 
one of the best stove plants. When well grown these 
pitchers can sometimes hold about a pint of water. 
They require a moist temperature and free exposure 
to light, the latter being most essential, and for this 
reason the plants are better grown in baskets in a 
temperature of 70° to 75 0 . The best rooting 
material is peat fibre, sphagnum moss, with pieces 
of crocks and charcoal. Potting should be done in 
early spring when fresh growth is made. They are 
better to be shaded from the strong rays of the sun. 
Oa no account use manure water, as this only causes 
rank growth without pitchers. In the above-named 
variety the best growths for forming pitchers are the 
dwarf and close growing sucker-like shoots which 
spring from the base. A good plan is (after some 
pitchers are formed and growth commences to 
lengthen) to pinch out the points which will cause 
such growths to be made, or old plants can be cut 
over to within 3 in. of the base. The firm portions 
of the shoots removed may (if a big stock is desired) 
be cut up into lengths of two joints and placed in a 
well drained 2j-in pot, using a mixture of peat fibre, 
sphagnum moss, and coarse sand. If placed in a 
propagating case and kept continually moist they 
root well.— T. S. Dick, Castlemilk Gardens, Lockerbie. 
A STRAWBERRY SUPPORT. 
Many growers of the luscious Strawberry have, at 
one time or another, been grieved or annoyed at the 
rotting or decaying of the fruit just when about fit 
to gather. This applies to plantations in the open 
air, as well as to plants in pots when being forced to 
produce an early supply. The labour and expense 
entailed by the operation of forcing urges the gar¬ 
dener to take means for supporting the fruits and 
thereby prevent them from being damaged in water¬ 
ing or otherwise. By supporting the trusses of 
fruit the berries by exposure to the sunshine take 
on a much deeper and richer colour, and are conse¬ 
quently of better flavour, than if one side only is 
exposed to light. 
The ordinary method of supporting Strawberries 
in pots is by using wooden pegs with a fork at the 
Strawberry Support. 
end. All this entails labour, which comes to be a 
heavy item where large quantities are forced. Mr. 
Henry Low, The Gardens, Larbert House, Falkirk, 
Stirlingshire, has contrived a simple invention by 
which the fruits can be supported by two pieces of 
wire. One of these pieces is termed the standard, 
and consists of a straight rod, the top of which is 
twisted so as to form a horizontal circle or ring of 
moderate size. The other piece is termed the sling, 
one end of which is spirally curved and intended for 
receiving the main stalk of the truss of fruit. The 
middle portion of the sling is bent cr curved into a 
series of hooks or catches, intended for raising or 
lowering the bunch to any desired height according 
to circumstances. The hooks or catches fit into 
grooves or depressions in the top ring of the standard, 
thereby keeping the whole sling in proper position 
and on that particular side of the plant which may 
be desired. One standard is sufficient for each, but 
one, two or more slings may be necessary according 
to the number of trusses on the plant. Two con¬ 
tiguous trusses might be put into one sliDg at the 
discretion of the operator. 
All this may be done very quickly on account of 
the simplicity of the invention and the few things 
that need be handled in fixing up the fruits of a 
batch of plants. The accompanying illustration 
shows a pot plant, the fruits of which are supported 
by the two pieces of wire forming the simple inven¬ 
tion of Mr. Low. 
NOTICE OF BOOK. 
The Growers’ Guide to How to Make the 
Most of the Land. New Century Edition. 
Up-to-date. Three complete sections in one 
book. Illustrated. Price is. By Sampson 
Morgan, London: The Express Publishing 
Company, 50, Fleet Street, E C. 
The author of this book of some 142 pages has done 
much in the interests of fruit at one time or another, 
and claims to be the “ founding editor cf the first 
fruit trade newspaper published in the United 
Kingdom (1885), and the originator of the fruit 
growing movement.” On the present occasion he 
says that home growers have failed because they 
worked in the old beaten track of their forefathers. 
It is more than likely that many of them will con¬ 
tinue to do so to the end of their time ; and that it 
remains for the more versatile to change with the 
times, and the younger generation to proceed on 
modern lines and prove whether the business of 
fruit growing can be made to pay or not. Prefer¬ 
ential protection is inimical to the welfare of the 
industry, as was proved when the fruit growers in 
the early years of the past century (not the present 
as is stated here by a lapsus pennae, we presume) 
induced the government to impose a tax on Apples, 
and laler on a heavier one. The value of English 
Apples declined in like ration, and the growers 
induced the legislature to rescind their previous 
enactments in relation to Apples. 
The author contends that protection makes pro¬ 
ducers careless. If such were really the case, as 
there is little room to doubt, the products would be 
of inferior value and the foreigner would reap the 
advantage of the best market in spite of the impost 
or duty on their importations. The influence of 
free trade has induced such an improved method of 
production as to be without parallel in the history of 
horticulture. Free trade has sharpened the wit of 
the grower with results that prove the Briton 
capable of holding his own when driven to it. 
Short chapters are given on the cultivation of 
Figs, Gooseberries, Apples, Cherries, Apricots, 
Currants, Brambles, Grapes, Melons, Mulberries, 
Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Raspberries and 
Strawberries, all of which are market fruits in every 
sense of the term. The instructions given are 
short and precise, the various points being dealt 
with in a sentence or short paragraph. The best 
early dessert Apples are given as Devonshire 
Quarrenden, Worcester Pearmain, Ingestrie; and 
the best late ones, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Blenheim 
Orange, Gascoyne’s Scarlet Seedling, Golden Knob, 
and Barnack's Beauty. The latter, we fancy, is not 
yet very widely known. Early culinary Apples 
recommended are White Transparent, Julien, Kes¬ 
wick Codlin and Lord Suffield ; best late varieties 
are Small’s Admirable, Blenheim Orange, Prince 
Bismarck, Wellington, Lane’s Prince Albert and 
Bramley’s Seedling. The lists are short, it is true, 
and many would no doubt include some of their own 
favourites. Public demand would have to decide 
the point ultimately. The most important factors 
in the case are that the fruits must be good for the 
purposes recommended, and that they are grown in 
such quantities as to render the supply continuous, 
if the growers and retailers are to retain the 
customers who come to buy and are pleased with 
the article furnished them. 
The second part of the book deals with the pro¬ 
duction and marketing of those vegetables which 
are most in demand and the quality and condition in 
which they must be marketed. Asparagus, Beans, 
Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbages, Cauliflowers, 
Celery, Cucumbers, Mushrooms, Onions, Peas, 
Radishes, Tomatos, Seakale, Polatos, Mint and 
Turnips, are the vegetables dealt with, and a perusal 
of the instructions can hardly fail to be of service 
to those who intend growing for market or have 
already commenced. 
Flowers constitute the theme of the third portion 
of the book, and include such well known and 
popular subjects as Arums, Bouvardias, Chrysanth¬ 
emums, Eucharis, Forget-me-nots, Gardenias, Hya¬ 
cinths, Lily of the Valley, Liliums, Mignonette, 
Narcissi, Pelargoniums, Roses, Spiraeas, Sweet 
Peas, Tuberoses, Tulips and Violets. It will be seen 
that these must constitute a small fraction only of 
the flowers which find their way into Covent Garden 
Market, but they are flowers practically always in 
demand, when to be bad in season or out of season. 
By adopting various methods of forcing, accelerating 
or retarding them so that tbey can be produced on 
the market out of season, the value obtainable, for 
the same is greatly enhanced. 
MONSTERAS. 
Every gardener has seen the Monsteras, those large 
tropical climbing shrubs with their peculiarly lobed 
leaves with round holes. They seem to be 
confined in their natural state, to the islands of the 
West Indies and to the tropical parts of South 
America and to Mexico, growing as tbey do in the 
rich forests, climbing upon the vegetation of stronger 
growth. In its young state the tissue Of the leaf is 
entire; but the tissue between the veins ceases to 
grow rapidly, becoming dry and tears away, thus 
leaving holes. At the edge the marginal part usually 
breaks, and the leaves become lobed. It is also 
remarkable to notice, that though the plant begins as 
a climber with its rcots in the soil, it frequently 
becomes an epiphyte with aerial roots. 
According to Mr. Willis, M.A., the genus (fi:st 
named by AdansoD) contains fifteen species, but the 
one mostly grown in our warm plant houses is M. 
deliciosi having edible fruits. The fruit has a 
peculiar taste, described by some one as beiDg a 
combination of the flavours of the Melon, Pineapple 
and Banana! The colour of the honey comb like 
