506 THE GARDENING WORLD. April 6, mi. 
before being thinned. When properly thinned a 
bunch of Grapes should have even sized berries that 
will form a compact cluster, close enough to retain 
its form when cut and laid on the dish or stand. If 
they fall about and show the stalk it is over-thinned ; 
if they force each other out of place it is under¬ 
thinned. The Grapes should never be touched by 
the hair or flesh, or rust is produced and the bloom 
destroyed. Always begin at the point and work 
upwards, steadying the bunch with a small peg or 
stick, removing the smallest and plenty of the inside 
berries first. Sometimes a few of the berries left at 
the first thinning may not be perfectly fertilised; 
these can readily be distinguished by their] being 
small and weak in the footstalk, and should be taken 
out at the second thinning. Lady Downes, Gros 
Colmar, and other late kinds, should be thinned 
freely, so that there is no danger of binding, other¬ 
wise they will not keep any length of time. Always 
thin in the early morning and late in the even¬ 
ing when the fingers are free from perspiration.— 
T. W. Doll cry, The Gardens, Whitburn, Sunderland. 
- »s° 
TOM THUMB ANTIRRHINUM. 
The decidedly dwarf habit of this strain of Antirr¬ 
hinum is as marked as in the case of the Cupid 
Sweet Peas, with this distinction that the varieties of 
Tom Thumb Antirrhinum may te flowered by any 
one having a rood of ground, or even less provided 
that sunshine can reach it. The accompanying 
illustration put at our service by Messrs. Sutton & 
Sons, Reading, shows a field of this strain in different 
colours. At least ten distinct colour varieties are in 
existence, and in all probability the strain is capable 
of taking up all the colours that are known to occur 
in the garden forms of Antirrhinum majus which is 
the parent of all the florists' strains of the genus in 
gardens. The plants attain a height of only 6 in., 
and branch as freely as the ordinary types, each 
shoot ending in a raceme of flowers, closely arranged 
so that the whole plant is dwarf and floriferous. 
For bedding purposes it will bs recognised by 
cultivators generally that the self colours are best for 
bedding purposes, being the most definite, effective 
and attractive. Three varieties are put forward by 
the Messrs. Sutton as peculiarly suitable for bedding 
purposes. White Queen is pure white, and offers a 
hue that is in frequent request whether used in 
isolated beds by itself or in combinations of effective 
colour arrangements of beds. Yellow Prince aflords 
a fine contrast, and is another colour much in request. 
Crimson King has bright crimson flowers and makes 
a bold contrast with the white variety. The three 
colours just named are practically the best that we 
have hitherto noticed amongst the various strains of 
Antirrhinum majus in gardens. Others there are in 
great plenty but not to surpass the general attrac¬ 
tiveness of crimson, yeliow and white ; though 
where a collection is the object many other hues 
are indispensable. The colours come true from seed 
and also the dwarf habit of the plant. 
DOUBLE PETUNIAS FOR EXHIBITION. 
Obtain cuttlDgs from side growths in June, insert in 
pots or pans of sandy soil. When rooted pot singly 
into small pots; growing on into fives, thereby 
obtaining nice sized plants for wintering. Pinch out 
the centres in spring whenever growth appears, 
and before potting; as the two operations should 
not be performed together. After good foundations 
have been secured, pot on into rich open compost, 
never allowing the plants to become pot bound ; and 
keep growing in a greenhouse until June, when they 
may be pluDged in ashes, in a cold frame, shading 
from bright sunshine, and returning to the green¬ 
house about the middle of July. Pinching and 
tying throughout the growing season is at a’l times 
necessary, to obtain proportionate plants. The last 
general pinching should take place seven weeks 
before bemg required in bloom, enabling all the 
flowers to come more equal. Shading and watering 
throughout is an all important matter to ensure 
success. No feeding should be given after the flowers 
begin to expand. Specimens exhibited in g-in. pots 
will be found a suitable size if well grown. Should 
mildew appear, dust over and underneath the leaves 
with powdered sulphur. The two specimens 
exhibited at our Edinburgh show in September last 
were grown under treatment similar to the above. I 
hope these few remarks may cause a more genera! 
interest in the cultivation of the above mentioned 
flowers.— Walter Hogarth, Norton Gardens, Ratho, 
Midlothian. 
ANOMATHECA GRANDIFLORA. 
This is a bulbous perennial, coming where the 
numerous bulb section comes from, the Cape. In 
warm districts they will be found quite hardy ; but 
removing the bulbs into a frost proof shelter in 
winter is safer. They will give more satisfaction if 
grown in pots to embellish the conservatory, with 
their brilliant bell-shaped flowers. If to be grown in 
pots, shake the bulbs out of their soil and repot in a 
compost of loam, leaf mould and sand. Grow in a 
frame or cool house in summer. The bulbs increase 
very rapidly, so division must be resorted to every 
second year. It also comes very freely from seed, 
which can be sown whenever ripe in seed pans. 
They are all worthy of cultivation; their dwarf 
habit, with grass like foliage, and bright flowers, 
which invariably are produced, for at least two 
months in autumn, renders them valuable subjects 
for pot work. After flowering dry off till spring. 
There are but a few species, Anomatheca cruenta 
(bloody), is a general one, and A. juncea another. 
I do not think grandiflora is much in cultivation as 
yet. Enclosed are a few roots, which constitute 
another mode of propagation.—^. V. M., Coltness 
Gardens, N.B. 
[The specimens sent are really underground 
rhizomes, not unlike those of Couch grass, but much 
stouter with shorter internodes and swollen joints. 
It is customary to speak of Anomatheca and allied 
members of the Iris family as bulbous plants, but 
botanicaliy they are herbaceous perennials with a 
rootstock consisting of underground rhizomes.— 
Ed.] 
——-oa®— 
LENTEN ROSES. 
The Lenten Roses (Helleborus orientalis) are most 
valuable plants for garden decoration and producing 
cut flowers at the present time. They have been 
vastly improved these past years by cross fertilising, 
which has resulted in finer and larger flowers, as 
well as a greater variety of colour, ranging from pure 
white through various shades of rose and purple, 
many of them beautifully spotted. They are easily 
cultivated, and thrive well in ordinary garden soil; 
but for choice kinds, or a beginning, a prepared site 
is preferable. A moist sheltered situation, where 
they will obtain partial shade, suits them, making 
surtf that the drainage is good, as stagnant moisture 
is most injurious. If the ground is well trenched 
and mixed with well decomposed manure they will 
thrive without transplanting for many years, a good 
top dressing being given annually. In early summer, 
when making their foliage, they are greatly benefited 
by frequent soakings of weak liquid manure, as the 
size and vigour of the leaves has a great influence on 
the size and substance of the flowers. Treated thus 
fine specimens are obtained with leaves ij ft. to 2 ft. 
long, and the flowers rising on forked stems above 
the foliage has a most imposing effect.—“ Bright- 
spade." 
A LARGE HELIOTROPE. 
We have on the back wall of the conservatory here 
the largest plant of Heliotrope I have ever seen. I 
herewith append the dimensions of the plant: height, 
*4 ft. ; width, g ft., while the stem measures 19 in. 
in circumference 4 in. from the soil. It is in most 
vigorous health, and annually supplies large quan¬ 
tities of cut flowers, from the middle of March to the 
end of September. I cut it hard back at the latter 
date, and it soon starts to grow again 
and its fresh green foliage all winter is very 
pleasing. It is planted in a shallow border, only 
about 12 in. wide : but the roots, doubtless, have 
long ere this made their way under the path, and 
found congenial soil elsewhere. All the " feeding ” 
it receives is an annual topdressiog of finely ground 
bones, and a good sprinkle of Thomson's Plant 
Manure. This, with copious supplies of water, is 
all the attention it requires. Curiously enough, 
although growing beside Roses and other plants 
liable to attacks of greenfly and red spider, this 
plant is never affected with these pests. This is 
the more curious, seeing how troublesome greenfly 
especially is, when Heliotrope is grown in pots. I 
send this in the hope that it may interest my fellow- 
leaders, and should any cf them have larger plants I 
would be glad to bear of it .—Chas. Blair, Binny, 
Uphall, N. B. 
- t — - - 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS FOR LATE USE. 
The value of these for late cutting cannot be over¬ 
estimated, and this especially where glass accommo¬ 
dation is limited. In these places often it is very 
difficult to find material for cutting the last two and 
first six weeks in the year. But with a supply of 
Chrysanthemums,RomanHyacinth',Violets, Freesias, 
Marguerites, and things that do not need a lot of 
heat, the very scarce season is bridged over. 
From my own standpoint I consider late Chrys¬ 
anthemums by far the most useful, that is, to come 
in from the first of December onward. Their not 
being grown in warm temperatures makes them 
fitted for many uses, that material grown in high 
temperatures are not. 
To illustrate this I may say that we have a very 
large, fine place of the old English style, about 8 ft. 
wide and correspondingly high. In this we have to 
keep a group of plants when the family are in 
residence (and this is during the last three and first 
four months in the year). It can readily be under¬ 
stood that such a situation is draughty, and not 
fitted for many things. In this position we find 
Chrysanthemums very useful, and now (January 8tb) 
we have nice plants of Golden Gem, Dibbens, W. H. 
Lincoln, and to follow these we have Mrs. Chas. 
Carey, Princess Victoria and its yellow sport. 
Sutton's Tom Thumb Antirrhinum. 
