554 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
and was appointed Assessor of Damages for the 
metropolitan district. 
In October 1894 't was considered advisable in the 
interests of nurserymen and glass owners generally 
that a company should be formed to cover the risk 
of damage by hailstorms at a lower premium, and 
Mr. Alexander James Munro. 
under conditions whereby the assured could cover 
the contents of their glasshouses and replace their 
own glass immediately. Mr. Monro was instrumen¬ 
tal in forming the Corporation he still continues to 
serve, which through the influential Board, com¬ 
prising as it does, the pick of the best nurserymen 
in the country, met with entire success. 
After the lamented decease of Mr. Roger Cutler, 
the first secretary of the Gardeners’ Royal Bene¬ 
volent Institution in 1891, Mr. Monro was called 
upon to fill up the breach thereby caused ; and this 
office he successfully held until the appointment of 
Mr. Geo. Ingram, the present able secretary. 
In aidition to the management of the Hailstorm 
Corporation, Mr. Monro is a Fellow of the Incorpor¬ 
ated Society of Accountants and Auditors, and con¬ 
ducts an accountancy business under the style of 
Wheeler and Monro, of which he is the surviving 
partner. 
Notwithstanding his wide and general experience, 
and the aptitude he has shown for the management 
and control of public business in the lines above 
indicated, Mr. Monro is still a young man, and in all 
human probabiliiy has a long career before him, 
during which he may render society indebted to him 
for services ably and willingly rendered. The portrait 
which we herewith present our readers, will serve to 
fix the personality of the gentleman of whom we 
speak on their minds, and to which they may refer 
when on future occasions we speak of him or the 
doings of the Corporation with which he is associ¬ 
ated. 
PEPEROMIAS. 
Although some score or more species of this genus 
are under cultivation in botanic gardens, but few 
can lay claim to any horticultural value. The 
species under notice, however, are exceptions, being 
worthy of a place in any representative collection 
of stove plants on account of their beautifully varie¬ 
gated foliage. P. Saundersii is probably the most 
familiar to gardeners. Its dwarf neat habit, and green 
and silver variegated foliage, render it a very desir¬ 
able plant for decorative work if grown in small pots, 
P. metallica, a beautiful little plant of dwarf free 
branching habit and dark green leaves beautifully 
veined with red, is seen to the best advantage if 
grown in pans, four or five plants in a 6 in. pan pro-, 
during a good effect. P. maculosa, a strong growing 
species, having green leaves, with gray veining, is 
also worthy of cultivation. The natural habitat of 
these plants being the hot and moist regions of 
tropical America and West Indies, a stove tempera¬ 
ture is necessary for their successful cultivation. A 
suitable compost will consist of equal parts loam and 
peat with sufficient leaf mould and sand to ensure 
porosity ; it is advisable not to pot too firmly. Pro¬ 
pagation may be effected by seeds or cuttings which 
root readily in a propagating case.— E. C. 
GAILLARDIAS. 
A most important and showy class of plants from 
North America. The flowers are extremely showy, 
and suitable either for room decoration or exhibition, 
lasting a very loDg time in a cut state or on the 
plants. The genus is not a large one—half-a-dozen 
species or so—but there are many garden varieties, 
grandiflora and hybrida being the best. They are 
perennial in most dry soils, but I treat the hybrids 
as biennials and find it the most satisfactory way. 
Procure at once a packet of seed from a reliable 
firm, sow in shallow boxes of nice free soil, place in 
a vinery or Peach house till germination takes place, 
afterwards removing them to a cold frame to 
harden. Allow them time to get strong before 
pricking off (I consider a great many young plants 
of all kinds are lost by attempting this operation too 
soon) in a sheltered spot in the reserve garden, or 
other convenient spot, till the end of August, when 
they should be planted. Where possible, they 
should be planted in bold groups or beds as they 
have a much finer effect, and thrive better by them¬ 
selves than in the mixed border. They need nothing 
further but hoeing to keep down weeds. In hot, 
dry weather do not spare the watering can, as the 
Gaillardia is a strong rooter and gross feeder, and 
will well repay any extra attention and feeding.— 
Brightspade. 
VIOLETS FOR FRAMES. 
Runners of Violets should now be encouraged to 
root by sprinkling some fine soil between them. 
When rooted, select the strongest ones and plant 
out in a part shady place, about 9 in. each way. 
When the plants show signs of growth, stir the soil 
with a small hoe, and syringe them in the evenings 
of dry, hot days, to prevent red spider, which is the 
Violet’s greatest enemy. Three runners should be 
left, and all off-sets and suckers should be pinched 
or cut off. If it is a dry summer, mulch with spent 
mushroom bed or short manure. In September, 
prepare the frames or pits (faring south) with 12 in. 
of soil from an old Cucumber bed, mixed with a 
little leaf mould, and placed on litter and leaves 
15 in. or 18 in. for bottom heat, which will suit 
them admirably. The plants are then carefully 
removed into the frames, with as large a ball of 
earth as possible and planted in rows close together, 
but not touching. They should be as near the glass 
as the leaves will permit. Give a copious watering 
and keep the frames close for a few days. Admit 
plenty of air when there is no sign of frost, and take 
off the lights in showery weather, which will give 
the plants a fme healthy appearance. Remove 
dead, decayed and turning leaves as soon as they 
appear. Three of the best Violets for frame culture 
are Marie Louise, Comte Brazza and Neapolitan.—- 
T. W. B. 
WATERING PLANTS. 
This is one of the most important operations in 
connection with the cultivation of plants, and for the 
benefit of young men in particular I should like to 
see some articles on the subject in the columns of 
your valuable paper. There are numerous subjects 
that may easily be injured or even killed by receiving 
too much or too little water. As a rule softwooded 
and those of a quick growing nature require more 
water than those of a hardwooded nature; while the 
latter require even more careful treatment in this 
respect. Seasons of growth and of rest have also to 
be dealt with and the supply of water given accord¬ 
ingly. Plants growing in pots, when watered, should 
be well soaked and not merely a dribble applied to 
the surface, which is very deceiving. Newly potted 
plants in most cases have to be simply sprinkled 
overhead (especially in bright weather) for a few 
days to keep them from flagging, otherwise sprink¬ 
ling or watering overhead with the rose of the 
watering pan should be avoided. Soft rain water 
being best for every description, provision should be 
made in every garden for collecting as much as 
possible from all glass structures, sheds, &c. Water 
should not be applied at a lower temperature than 
April 27, 1901. 
that to which the plants are subjected, particu¬ 
larly those growing in a high temperature. A good 
rule is always to water a plant thoroughly when it 
requires water but not unless.— D. Buchanan, Ayr¬ 
shire. 
PEACH DISBUDDING. 
This is one of the most important items in Peach 
culture, and by judicious disbudding is the 
framework of a young tree formed. When we notice 
that a Peach tree forms as many buds as it does 
leaves on shoots of the current year, it stands to 
reason that a goodly number will have to be removed 
to prevent it becoming a disorganised mass. Dis¬ 
budding from start to finish occupies about three 
weeks, the first half being done by the finger, the 
latter half with a sharp knife, as the shoots gain 
strength. If any of the young shoots which it is 
desired to remove have fruit at the base, they should 
be pinched back to three or four leaves, and finally 
removed after the fruit is thinned. If the bearing 
wood in fan-trained trees was properly thinned at 
the autumn pruning, a young growth near the base 
should be selected, others abmt 18 in. apart, and 
the terminal bud, of course. All the others should 
be taken off gradually, the fore-right and back shoots 
first, then after a short interval one-half of these 
should be removed, and finally the remainder that 
are not required. Care should be taken, and the 
operator should not be too hasty, as if disbudding is 
done before the sap is active, the tree receives a 
somewhat serious check. It is a common mistake 
to tie in more shoots than are really wanted, and, as 
a consequence, the wood is very weak, and also 
shades the fruit and spoils its flavour. Some trees 
have a preponderance of flower buds over wood 
buds. The fingers should be drawn down the under 
sides of the branches before the buds open, as there 
is not such a tax on the resources of the tree as 
when the flowers are expanded.— T W. Dollery, The 
Gardens, Whitburn, Sunderland. 
Fig trees should now be pruned at once, and tied 
up. They are gross feeders so will be greatly bene¬ 
fited by a good mulching of dung. If on a border 
that is shallow, attention should be paid to watering 
or the fruits will not swell properly. 
Apricots. —Those that are in sunny positions will 
have set their fruit by now. As soon as they start to 
swell they should be thinned, taking care to allow 
for loss in stoning. See that they do not suffer for 
want of water. When the weather is bright they 
should have a thorough spraying with an insecticide, 
or quassia and soapy water to prevent the attacks of 
green fly. 
Apples and Pears —It is not too late yet to graft 
these if it is desired, as the season is very late this 
year. Tie wet moss over the clay to prevent the 
drying winds that prevail at this time of the year 
from drying it up. 
Peaches. —The protection should still be kept on 
Peach trees. Attention should be paid to disbudding, 
which should be done as early as possible, so that 
the wounds on the branches will only be slight. 
Strawberries. —If it has not already been done 
they should have a good mulching of manure, so 
that the showers ca wash down the nutriment, and 
stimulate them in their growth. 
Gooseberries and Currants. —If these are at¬ 
tacked by birds and the buds destroyed, a good 
sprinkling of soot and lime will prove a very effective 
means of preventing their depredations. It is best 
applied made into a solution with water and syringed 
over the bushes. 
Insects. —As the season advances the pests put in 
their appearance and begin their work of destruction. 
One of the first to put in its appearance is the Apple 
Aphis (Aphis Mali), then the troublesome American 
blight (Schizoneura lanigera). If Apple trees are 
seen to be infested with this latter, steps should 
immediately be taken to exterminate them. This is 
best done by scrubbing the bark with a hard brush 
and sand, and then well scrubbing it with a strong 
solution of quassia, or soft soap and water. 
Grafts must be watched to see that they are not 
attacked by the stem-boring weevil (Rhynchites 
Alliariae), which bores into the scion and deposits its 
eggs there. When this hatches the grub feeds on 
