440 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
March 9, 1901. 
Hints for Imateurs. 
GREENHOUSE AND STOVE PLANTS. 
Oestrum aurantiacum.—Though but a few of the 
numerous worthy stove and greenhouse plants can 
be selected for a short notice this week, I have 
thought fit to include the above named greenhouse 
species in the list. One does not find it so frequently 
cultivated as the allied species Oestrum elegans, and 
C. Newelli (Habrothamnus). C. aurantiacum 
produces beautiful yellow flowers, having a tinge of 
orange or gold in them. The plant is exceedingly 
easy to mansg\ and indeed the only difficulty with 
any of the Oestrums is in keeping them clean. They 
flower freely when the roots are restricted and are 
nourished by liquid manure. After flowering, the 
ripened shoots should be cut back, and any weakly, 
crowded shoots may be removed. 
Centrapogon lucyanus.—Those who have a warm 
house at their command might very well substitute 
th's plant for some that are less charming. It comes 
quickly to a flowering state from cuttings, inserted at 
the present time into small pots. When somewhat 
developed the plants should be neatly staked. The 
plant grows quickly and flowers fretly on the current 
season's shoots, the flowers being tubular and bright 
crimson. The ordinary conditions of a plant stove 
suit its needs. 
Cyperus elegans furnishes a very desirable plant 
for the amateurs’ intermediate house or even cool 
greenhouse. Of course when these graceful sedges 
are grown under cool treatment the growth is much 
slower, and also less elegant. The species named at 
the beginning of this note is the finest for general 
pot culture. Division is resorted to, or short cuttings 
of the flower heads are made, when an increased 
stock is desired. The species of Cyperus delight in 
a plentiful supply of water. 
Coronilla glauca.—The Coronillas are well known 
leguminous plants, and strike readily from cuttings 
of the j ouDg wood. As a rule they are simply 
pinched enough] to keep them bushy and shapely. 
In the southern counties all of them would no doubt 
stand out all winter the same as Coronilla Emerus, 
but it is generally necessary to make pot plants of 
them. 
Daphne indica should be included in all collections 
of hard-wooded greenhouse plants. Its fragrant 
trusses of rosy-purple flowers are graceful in the 
early part of the year. When planted out in indoor 
borders among peaty soil the plants do well ; though 
it is a slow grower. It must be confessed, however, 
that it is difficult to maintain this Daphne in good 
growing condition at all times. The state of the soil 
has a great deal to do with the healthiness and 
general progress of the plants. After having made 
their growth the amount of water supplied to the 
roots should be strictly limited. Indeed, at all times 
the soil or peaty compost should be carefully kept 
sweet and aerated. I would not advise any but 
experienced gardeners to attempt striking Daphne 
cuttings. The process takes so long, and the growth, 
as already stated, is so slow that it would be cheaper 
and better to secure plants from the nursery to begin 
with. 
One of the most important items in the successful 
treatment of Daphne indica lies in providing a friable 
compost. Four parts of good fibrous peat to one of 
thoroughly rotten dung with a liberal addition of 
coarse sand and some well pounded charcoal will be 
found about as suitable to the plant as any compost 
that could be tried. Thorough drainage is essential. 
When planted out in good soil, other conditions 
being favourable, the plants gradually establish 
themselves and demand no great amount of attention. 
In pots the same rule applies. Small shifts only need 
be given to them, and a cool temperature certainly 
suits Daphne indica prior to, and duriDg the period 
of its flowering. When growth is being made an 
iDtermedia'e house temperature is usually accorded, 
but I think the cool greenhouse might still be used. 
Pinching is resorted to when the plants are small 
and young, but they usually grow radiatingly with¬ 
out further manipulation when they have become 
somewhat developed. 
Dipladenias.—Perhaps I should have left Dipla- 
denias out of an amateurs’ selection of stave plants, 
for the principal reason that they require a brisk 
temperature at all times. The winter temperature 
lor them should range b;tween 65° aud 70° ; and a 
moist atmosphere is necessary. Pieces of the young 
shoots, consisting of a couple of joints, should be 
inserted in a light quality of soil; and suitable wood 
for the purpose can usually be obtained after the 
beginning of August. A little well-teased peat may 
be added to the soil in which the cuttiDgs are placed. 
Throughout the winter the young rooted plants 
should be encouraged to make head growth, and by 
April they will be ready for a shift into 6-in. pots. 
Here the compost should be a mixture of about 
equal parts of peat, loam, and leaf mould, with some 
sand added. It is advisable to plant out Dipladenias 
wherever possible, and to train them up as climbiDg 
plants upon the beams of a glass house. As pot 
plants they can be balloon-trained or in a variety of 
other forms, and will require to be potted-on succes¬ 
sively, to maintain healthy growth. The leaves 
must be kept clean, for which purpose a judicious 
use of the syringe is commended. The best species 
for ordinary culture are D. boliviensis, D. amabilis, 
and D. crassinode. 
Fuchsias.—These splendid plants can be grown by 
all classes of the community and in all kinds of 
places. Considering the great variety of Fuchsias 
that exist I am somewhat surprised to think that 
there are so few complete collections to be found in 
our gardens. These and a full representation of the 
scented Pelargoniums, form two classes of plants in 
which I take a special delight. There are primarily 
two sections of Fuchsias, the hardy and the half 
hardy. F. macrostemaand its varieties, F. Riccartooi, 
F. globosa, and F. gracilis, represent the hardy 
Fuchsias; and nearly all the others require the 
shelter of a glasshouse during winter. F. fulgecs 
with its scarlet flowers is very graceful and quite 
distinct. F. serratifolia is a species with prettily 
serrated foliage, only to be found in such collections 
as at Ivew. F. corymbiflora is good in its way ; but 
the ordinary grower is content with a selected list of 
nurserymen’s varieties. F. splendens, F. procura- 
bens, and F. microphylla, are, however, more or less 
well known. The culture of these plants is very 
facile indeed. The cuttings root readily in small 
pots filled with light soil. The plants do well even 
when given large shifts as, for instance, from a 3-in. 
into a 6-in. pot. They should not be terminally 
pinched; that is, the leading shoots should be main¬ 
tained, and only the most straggling laterals need be 
nipped. During the heat of summer a top-dressing 
of rotten dung is used with good results upon the 
surface soil of the pots. Watering can easily be 
done even with this top dressing. It is furthermore 
beneficial to afford a slight shading to them. 
Present Work. —Roses for forcing must be brought 
into warmth from the cold frames ; they having 
been previously top dressed and put in order. Schi- 
zanthus and other annuals, as well as Irises and 
hardy perennials of suitable sorts, should be likewise 
brought forward. The bedding stuff demands atten¬ 
tion ; especially will propagation require to be 
carried on with dwarf edging plants, &c. Sowings of 
vegetable crops in the open and also in warm frames, 
as advised in the “Kitchen Garden Calendar,’’ 
should be got in now.— Beacon. 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
Anyone 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. 
A sunk fence, —if. S.: A deep wide fosse or ditch 
will require to be taken out along the line of boundary 
which at present seems to be unfenced. The exca¬ 
vated material may be taken away, though some of it 
may be used to raise portions of the ground. The 
object of sunk fences (also called ha-ha) is to 
allow a level and unbroken view in places where 
neighbouring properties merge. A straight or 
almost straight retaining wall would have to be 
built on one side of the ditch. By effective plaoting 
on the ground on either side of such a divisional 
fence, the deceptiveness (which is the sole end in 
view) can be carried to comp'eteness. 
Begonia President Carnot.— R. F. S.: The leaf 
you send is evidently from the shrubby, climbing 
Begonia known as President Carnot. It makes a 
fine specimen plant, and if you j ust allow your plant 
to grow on it will certainly flower eventually. We 
imagine the roots have too much space and good soil 
to roam about in at present; and thus your plants 
are making wood and leaf growth at the expense of 
flowers. When the wood becomes firmer the trusses 
will appear. A temperature from 55 0 to 6o° should 
be maintained. B. Caledonia is an ivory-white sport 
from B. Gloire de Lorraine, and at present is being 
offered at 7s. 6d. and 10s. 6d. per plant. 
“ Greening ” Potatos.— F. T.: Potatos can only 
be " greened ” as you call it, by being exposed to the 
open air and light, after being lifted in summer. 
Planting Wistaria sinensis .—Andrew Robinson : A 
good garden soil should be chosen, and after digging 
it well, a healthy Wistaria, or a number of Wistar¬ 
ias, according to the position and space, may be 
carefully planted. A sunny wall should be accorded 
in all northern districts. Planting may take place 
any time until about the first week in April, after 
which it is not advisable to plant. 
Spring flowering hardy plants.—A. S T . ; 
Amongst the hardy Irises that can be had in flower 
at this time, there are I. persica, I. p. Heldreichii 
I. orchioides, I. reticulata, I. r. major, I. Danfordiae, 
I. stylosa, and others. There are also Hyacinthus 
azureus, Scilla bifolla, S. nutans rosea, Cyclamen 
Coum, C. repandum, C. Aitkinsii alba, Anemone 
fulgens, Anemome Hepatica rubra plena, A. H. alba, 
A. H. caerulea, Saxifraga apiculata, Morisia hypo- 
gaea, Lithospermum prostratum, many species of 
Crocuses and Galanthus. Primulas also come into 
flower now, including P. Forbesii and P. verticillata. 
The foregoing selection, to which may be added a few 
hardy foliage plants such as Ga’ax aphylla, 
Saxifraga longifolia, Adonis vernalis, and A. 
amurensis, which is ornamental in leaf and flower, 
and a few other early species, would prove interesting 
in any cool greenhouse, or you might make a fairly 
bright and early show in the rock garden out of 
doors by employing hand lights, sheets of glass, or 
even sashes to protect the plants when permanently 
planted. 
Yiolet leaves becoming brown.— Anderson: It is 
difficult to say definitely what has caused the leaves 
to become brown and mouldy without knowing more 
fully the conditions of their growth. It would 
appear, however, that the plants have been subjected 
to drip, and some of the younger ones may have been 
caught by the frost. There is no reason for anxiety, 
for the better spring weather which we may soon 
expect will encourage the new leaves and the flower 
buds which we find clustering on the crowns. If 
they are in frames give them all the air possible in 
mild weather, and if watering is necessary, 
avoid wetting the foliage if you can. Care¬ 
fully remove the worst of the leaves, which will 
allow more air and light to reach the others. In 
April select the strongest runners, sever them from 
the parent plants, and plant them half a foot apart 
in a well prepared bed or border where they may 
remain till lifted and finally planted in frames or 
borders in September. 
Rose Pruning .—Anderson : You do not give us any 
information as to what kind of Roses you mean ; and 
to help our correspondents we require to know facts, 
otherwise we are left to theorise. As a general rule, 
Roses are pruned whenever it is deemed safe enough 
to do so, which is after the likelihood of severe frosts 
has gone. Hybrid perpetuals for exhibition blooms 
are pruned back from the middle of March to April. 
The stronger shoots should have 6 in. or 8 in. of the 
base left, the weak ones being cut much closer down. 
If a profusion of bloom is desired in place of larger 
ones, the pruning need not be nearly so hard. The 
great thing is always to leave thoroughly well 
ripened wood. Teas may also be pruned in April; 
although in sheltered positions and welt drained 
soils, both hybrid perpetuals and Teas are frequently 
pruned at the present time Climbing Roses need 
only be slightly shortened back, or spurred in if on a 
wall. China Roses and Briers really do not call for 
pruning ; though a gentle thinning is commendable. 
Rose experts know from the varying characteristics 
of each variety, what amount of pruning to give 
them. Pot Roses are pruned at various seasons, but 
generally some time before the forcing of them is 
begun. 
