454 
THE GARDENING WORLD, , Mar.i, io. 1901. 
mended to put your parcels on the line and not 
know the secretary to whom they are dispatched, as 
I believe only too often they are not distributed,” 
Thie amendment was seconded by Mr. Curtis, and 
carried. 
Mr. Hudson proposed that the committee should 
be elected en bloc. This was carried unanimously. 
A vote of thanks was given to the treasurer for his 
services. 
In replying, Mr, Hudson said it gave him ample 
satisfaction to mark the success of the society. 
Mr. Collins was unanimously re-elected as secre¬ 
tary.. Replying, he spoke of the help he had 
received from Mr. Hudson and the committee, and 
hoped still to receive their assistance. 
A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. 
Collins for his valuable work. 
Mr. Roupell, replying to a vote of thanks, said he 
hoped all would press the advantages of the society, 
that it might become better known and appreciated. 
PRUNUS PERSICA AS A DECORATIVE 
PLANT. 
I wish to refer strictly to various double-flowering 
varieties introduced from China and Japan. They 
are of easy culture as pot plants, and have only to be 
seen to be admired. With a very little forcing they 
can be had in bloom from Christmas onwards, and 
are invaluable for conservatory and house decoration. 
Very few plants look so charming in a vase, standing 
as they do for nearly five weeks in bloom. Shorten 
back the shoots after flowering, examine the drainage 
to.see that it is in good order. Should they need 
potting, now is the proper time to do it. They 
succeed well when potted in three parts good loam, 
one part leaf mould, a little bone meal, and as much 
sand as will keep the whole porous. Pot firmly, ard 
give them a night temperature from 50° to 55 0 , 
rising accordingly through the day. Keep them well 
syringed to promote growth and keep down insects. 
In summer, plunge the pots in ashes out of doors in 
the full sun, so that their growth may get thoroughly 
ripened, as therein lies the secret of success. At no 
time should they suffer for want of water at the 
roots. They should be brought in again in the 
autumn as required, and brought slowly on, a cool 
greenhouse, or a newly started Peach house, suiting 
them best .—James Mills, Shavington Gardens , Market 
Drayton, Shropshire. 
--— 
tree or perpetual flowering 
CARNATIONS. 
These are distinguished from the border and show 
varieties of Carnations by their habit and growth, 
which causes them to flower at various times of the 
year. Side growths are produced from the stem and 
if allowed would grow and flower. The tree Car¬ 
nations have improved both in habit and quality of 
the blooms of late years. Specimens of dwarf habit 
were unknown a few years ago ; now we have them 
of low growth and superior quality. This class of 
Carnation is invaluable for producing blooms when 
the ordinary type will not, especially during winter 
months. They are propagated from slips or 
•pipings” from the side growths in January, Febru¬ 
ary and March, as they strike very readily in a little 
bottom heat, and to make sure of them they should 
be covered with a handglass to prevent flagging. 
Some varieties take longer to root, and until roots 
are formed little air should be admitted. As soon 
as they are fairly rooted pot them in thumb pots, let 
them stay in the house till May and then arrange 
outside. Those rooted in January may be grown on, 
until they are large enough to flower in 7 or 8-in. 
pod?. They should bloom in September and all 
through fhe winter and spring months. The blooms 
open best in a temperature of 55", a dry atmosphere 
is best. A little fibrous peat with the heavier loam 
should be used, and lighter sandy soil for cuttings 
and small plants . —A M. 
RELAYING BOX EDGINGS. 
The back end or early spring is the best time for this 
being done, but on the other hand, those not having 
had time or favourable weather, may do so now 
before the Box starts away into growth. When Box 
edgings are properly put down they will not require 
lifting for many years. The hedge shears will 
answer to keep them trig afterwards. If there be'a 
low side in the walk it should be lifted first. Clean 
back the gravel with a draw hoe, and raise the Box 
with a digging fork. Shake well and dig the ground 
over. Apply the rake to gather out the stones and 
tread firm. Take up the levels from the hard centre 
of the walk, about 5 yards apart, beating them hard 
with a spade. Then stretch the line, the width taken 
from the opposite side, and add more soil if 
required, Beat the whole, stretch hard, making it 
level 6 in. on each side of the line. Then chip out a 
piece 2 in. from the line. Then with a straight spade 
cut a straight trench. Select nice twigs with a root 
attached. Lay in neatly, keeping the Box i£ in. 
above the level. Put back all the soil and again 
tread hard. Suffruticosa is the best variety for 
edgings. The leaves are small, obovate, and the 
plant is easily kept dwarf.— Willie, Leckmiln, Ross- 
shire, N B. 
THE OLD DOUBLE WHITE PRIMULA 
Can claim without a doubt to be the most useful 
winter flowering plant to those who have to keep up 
a constant supply of cut flowers through the dull 
winter months. They can be had in flower from the 
middle of October to the beginning of April. They 
are also very showy in decorating the greenhouse 
where a temperature can be had from 45 0 to 50°. 
Now is the time to start propagating as the early 
batches go out of flower (here is where the chief 
difficulty lies in getting young plants to root and 
grow away freely). The safest way is to earth them 
up. Remove a few old leaves with a knife ; place 
the pot with the plant into a pot 1 in. larger and 
earth up the plant to the leaves with chopped sphag¬ 
num moss and sand. Keep a little warmer, well 
moistened and shaded from the bright sun to encour¬ 
age new roots. In six or eight weeks they should be 
ready to pot off into small pots using a mixture of peat, 
loam, leaf soil, and sand. Be always careful not to 
over water. In May place in a cold frame and pot 
on the plants as they need into 4, 5, and sj-in. pots 
for flowering, using heavier soil than before; air 
and shade according to weather; feed when the 
roots fill the pot; house towards the end of Septem¬ 
ber on a shelf and gopd results will follow.— Gardener. 
STARTING BEGONIAS. 
Having read carefully Mr. C. Blair's article on the 
above subject, in your issue of the 9th March, I quite 
agree with his method of removing all the old soil 
from the tubers before starting them into growth. 
Rather than suggest potting into small sized pots, I 
would consider cutting boxes should have the pre¬ 
ference, simply because less labour is expended by 
so doing, with equally good results. Place a coating 
of rough leaves in the bottom of the box, and fill up 
with sifted leaf mould, and sharp sand only. When 
potting is necessary, the tubers will be found to lift 
splendidly,with mould adhering to the tubers, which, 
when potted, start freely into growth with little or 
no serious check. They may receive their final 
potting by this method, except in some instances 
when very large specimens are required. If intro¬ 
duced into the vinery it will be found a suitable place 
for starting them, receiving a spraying overhead 
along with the Vines. By observation I venture to 
say that they thrive and flower best if the soil is 
kept rather in a dry, than a wet state. For com¬ 
post use fibrous loam and leaf mould in equal parts, 
dried cow manure broken down, some wood ashes, 
or charcoal, with some silver sand added. As 
regards manures, nothing is more beneficial than 
waterings of sheep droppings, diluted to a weak 
state twice a week. Guard against artificial manures 
for Begonias, as it acts injuriously during their rest¬ 
ing period .—Walter Hogarth, Norton Gardens, Ratho, 
Midlothian. 
CINERARIAS. 
If it is desired to have these most useful plants to 
bloom in the autumn and early part of winter, seeds 
should now be sown. For a later display, com¬ 
mencing in February, and onward, sow the seeds 
about the third week in April. Sow the seeds thinly 
in pots or pans of light sandy soil and place on a 
shelf on the shady side of the greenhouse. They 
will quickly germinate, and as soon as they show 
their second leaf, pot off singly into thumbs (smallest 
size), using rather coarse soil, and taking care not to 
cover the hearts of the plants. Place the young 
plants in a close frame, shade them and sprinkle 
overhead with soft water morning and night, till the 
plants are well established. After being kept close 
for a fortnight or so, the heat should be diminished, 
and air given, as the main factor in the successful 
growing of these plants is to have them as robust as 
possible. As soon as the pots are filled with roots, 
shift into 4j-in. pots, finally potting into 10-in. pots. 
This operation should not be delayed as the plants 
soon starve, the leaves turning a pale sickly green. 
The compost should be coarse, consisting of good 
loam, leaf mould and some well decayed cow dung. 
The quality of the flowers will be greatly improved 
if the plants are fed twice or thrice a week with a 
little manure water. Keep as cool as possible.—T. 
W. Dollery, The Gardens, Whitburn, Sunderland. 
PENTSTEMON BARBATUS TORREYI. 
One of our most beautiful summer perennials, and 
one of the most telling and effective on the exhibition 
table or in the hardy flower border, is Pentstemon 
barbatus Torreyi, the Beard Tongue. The culture 
is so very simple for such a beautiful plant that all 
can grow it to perfection in any ordinary garden soil. 
The flower spikes, when fully developed, reach a 
height of between 3 ft. and 4 ft., and the drooping, 
tubular, bright scarlet flowers, arranged in a slightly 
pyramidal form, give the whole plant a very graceful 
appearance. If planted in good sized batches, about 
15 in. apart each way, instead of dottirg them about 
singly, as is far too often practised, a very much finer 
effect is produced. The flowering period is a loDg 
one, commencing early in June and continuing well 
into September, providing that plenty of water is 
applied during the hot weather. Propagation is 
easily eff-.cted by division of the roots in autumn or 
spring, or by cuttings taken from the ba^e in autumn. 
Insert about four cuttings in a 60-sized pot, in a 
compost consisting of loam, leaf, soil and sand. 
Place in a cold frame during the winter, and plant 
out early in April. Another name for this Pent¬ 
stemon. is Chelone barbatus Torreyi, and the variety 
purpurea is a pleasing companion.— A. Thatcher, 
Els tree, Herts. 
--t»- 
SALVIA HEERII 
Is a charming winter-flowering plant which, I’m 
sorry to say, is not grown as much as it ought- 
It possesses a few good merits which should bring its 
culture more before the notice of those who have 
conservatory splendour to keep up, as we find this 
species of the Salvia family very useful to supply 
gorgeous red spikes of blooms long after Salvia 
splendens and all our up-to-date winter-flowering 
plants have left the scene. When grouped with 
Richardia africana its stately spikes add a supreme 
lightness and warmth of colour to the white ; edging 
the whole with Primula stellata, or '• The Lady.” 
The effect is very pleasing, and it answers well as 
dot plants for side stagings, if grown judiciously and 
pinched to keep it from becoming too tall, as it 
would do. Its culture is much the same as Salvia 
splendens. After flowering, which it will have done 
in about a month if kept cool, cut them down to 
within 1 ft. or so of the pot and keep dry. Shoots 
will soon make their appearance which, when taken 
off with a small heel of old wood, will root freely in 
sandy compost. Keep them in a close atmosphere, 
and after rooting pot as they require it, always 
using good yellow fibrous loam with a slight addition 
of leaf soil and sand. One thing in their culture is 
not to coddle them. After frost has disappeared 
pinch them twice or three times in a season, making 
the last one about the last in August, and you will 
have beautiful plants in 7-in. pots to take the place 
of Salvia splendens grandiflora. — Northern. 
■ -—- 
SWEET PEAS 
Are admittedly fashion’s fragrant favourite flowers. 
When we look back and think of Sweet Peas a 
quarter of a century ago, we can realise to some 
extent the glorious results of our American and 
British hybridists. No flower or class of flowering 
plants yields such an abundant supply of bloom for 
cutting, and no annual rewards the gardener better 
for the comparatively small amount of attention 
required. To let them alone or let them produce 
seed pods means ruin and disappointment; but give 
them rich soil, plenty of room, and keep cutting the 
flowers daily, and Sweet Peas more than anything 
I know, will produce a continuous supply from four 
to six months, and sometimes longer. Their flowers 
