June 8, 1901. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
655 
LILIES OF THE NILE, 
After flowering, should he planted out of doors for 
about three months, kept well supplied with mois¬ 
ture, and .occasionally giving them liquid manure. 
They should be planted in well prepared ground (and 
not as is often done, put behind a hedge or wall out 
of sight), and by the end of ^August or first week of 
September they should be taken up and potted in 
fibrous loam three parts, not sifted, and one part 
well-rotted cow manure an I sand. Stand the plants 
on a layer of cinders, shade from bright sun for a 
few days, and by the end of September they should 
be housed and kept as near the glass as possible. 
They should have no fire-heat (unless to keep out 
frost) until the end of January, when they can have 
a temperature of about 50°. Having grown them in 
this way, I have had about 200 spathes from eighteen 
pots of plants.— F. R. 
IRISES. 
No matter where we may go or how far distant we 
may wander, the Irises and their glorious tints will 
be seen looming from low carpets of evergreen, or 
throwing their wonderful foliage and stately flower 
spikes majestically amidst banks of variegated 
grasses, or perchance we may even see thick, broad 
masses of ever-blending colour exhibiting their 
grandeur quite alone. At first sight we would 
imagine by the texture of the flowers, that they 
belonged to the family of Orchids; but botany and 
more minute examinations tell us that they are quite 
distinct from the Orchid and that their natural 
order is Irideae. If we make a botanical examina¬ 
tion of the Iris we will find that the leaves are 
equitant (i.e., thickening in the medium plane) and 
that they have parallel veins, hence the class of 
Monocotyledons. The flowers possess three stamens 
on the base of the outer perianth, with innate 
anthers, and style with three petal-like divisions. As 
for the roots, we will find that they are divided into 
two sections, that of the bulbous and rhizomatous. 
Plants can be increased by the division of the root 
stock. Plenty of water can be given during the 
growing season, and a warm, sheltered position 
should be chosen for their cultivation, this is to say, 
shelter without shade, as sun is essential to their 
well-being. A lovely half-hardy variety is Iris 
chinensis, from China ; it possesses delicate blue 
flowers .—George William Dickson, 107, Belsize Road, 
S. Hampstead, London, N.W. 
EUCHARIS. 
The two most useful species are Eucharis grandi- 
flora and Eucharis Candida; the first named bearing 
flowers about 4 in. across. The best crops of flowers 
appear during the spring months if they cease to 
bloom at intervals throughout the year. E Candida 
is similar to E. grandiflora, but produces smaller 
flowers and needs a longer rest. To grow Eucharis 
successfully they should be placed in a stove and 
planted out or in pots. If possible plant them over 
the hot water pipes, placing a slab or slate on the 
pipes, then some broken crocks, for good drainage 
must always be given, and plant the bulbs well 
down in some fibrous loam, a little silver sand, and 
decayed cow manure. About six full sized bulbs 
will be enough for a gj-in. pot and more or less in 
proportion, according to size of the bulbs. If flowers 
are required in rapid succession plunge in bottom 
heat; but this should be avoided if possible, as it 
weakens the constitution of the plant and makes 
them more subject to disease, viz., the Eucharis 
mite, which attacks the bulb and causes the leaves 
to turn yellow, although this is sometimes the 
result of bad drainage. All the species are evergreen 
plants, but should be kept rather dry until growth 
commences, never allowing them to become quite 
dry. Feeding with weak manure water is better 
than repotting too often. If the plants are in a 
healthy condition they should never be disturbed.— 
G. F. M. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Those who were at the Temple show the other week 
ought to have taken notes on a large selection of 
plants, for all classes were represented, but none 
were more in evidence than hardy flowers, &c., and 
new and popular bedding plants. 
Lantana. —This plant seems coming well to the 
front, and certainly it deserves first notice here. It 
is a remarkably showy plant, and has not that stiff 
formal habit which characterises many of the dwarf 
bedding plants. It belongs to a large genus, there 
being over fifty distinct species. They are widely 
distributed about the world, being found in America, 
Africa, and Asia. It strikes freely fron cuttings, 
which should be taken in August, and wintered in 
the same manner as bedding Pelargoniums ; in fact, 
it requires much the same treatment as them 
throughout. They can be grown on into large plants 
by judicious pinching and careful root treatment. 
They delight in a moist soil, but it must be sweet. 
When planted out in beds it should be provided with 
a soil that is inclined to be sandy. They bloom 
freely throughout the season and make a very effec¬ 
tive bed. The flowers are usually combinations of 
red and orange, but some are pure white ; others, old 
gold. It is very easy to cultivate, but will not thrive 
if shaded by other plants. 
Schizanthus.— This is another genus of plants 
destined to have a bright future as a bedding plant. 
They are natives of Chili, and may be grown as half 
hardy annuals in this country. Beds of these showy, 
floriferous plants are a beautiful sight. The flowers 
individually are beautifully cut, from which feature 
the genus owes its name; from schizo, to cut, and 
anthos, a flower. The colours are various and beau¬ 
tifully shaded and blended, producing many fasci¬ 
nating combinations. Some varieties are pure white, 
in others red is the predominating colour, while 
many of them, with the addition of yellow markings, 
form a combination of the two. The leaves are 
prettily cut, being known as pinnatisect. There are 
two general methods of cultivation ; one is to sow 
the seed in a little heat in the spring and harden off 
and plant out in the same manner as other tender 
annuals. Some people prefer sowing the seed in the 
autumn and wintering the plants in a house which 
only just excludes the frost. This plant entails a 
large amount of trouble and takes up cold house 
room, which is always so valuable during winter. 
If the spring is not too rough and late, those sown in 
March generally overtake those sown six months 
earlier,and there does not seem much difference in their 
constitutions. The tall growing varieties require a 
lot of trouble in tying, but they will repay all the 
time spent on them. A variety seen at several 
shows lately, under the name of S. wisetonensis, is a 
dwarf and rather compact form, forming a pyra¬ 
midal plant about 1 ft. in height. They will repay 
for liberal treatment, as they do much better in a 
light, rich soil than when in a starved one. Tne 
leaves soon turn yellow if allowed to get dry at the 
root and the whole plant suffers in consequence. 
They have been a long time in the country without 
many people recognising their good qualities. S. 
pinnatns was introduced early in last century, about 
1822. 
Rheum. —One does not usually look on Rhubarb 
as a flower garden plant but more as a plant to be 
pushed into an out-of-the-way corner of the kitchen 
garden. Even the Rhubarb of pudding fame makes 
a striking plant when in bloom, but some of its 
sisters are decidedly handsome plants, their huge 
leaves giving quite a tropical aspect to the flower 
garden. For furnishing large spaces it is invaluable, 
and as it dies down in the winter it is protected from 
the terrible fogs and smoke of large towns, making 
it a desirable genus for London suburban gardens 
especially. The inflorescence which is thrown up 
many feet above the leaves is a noble looking spike 
and attracts attention from a great distance. There 
are a good many varieties on the market most of 
which may be had cheaply. Rhubarb was first 
introduced into England in 1628, when it was 
cultivated for medicinal purposes. R. undulatum is a 
noble form, and is very effective when growing in the 
grass in the pleasure grounds. R. palmatum is one 
of the best for decorative purposes. 
Aquilegias.— There is often a difficulty in 
making a selection of flowers for cutting purposes, 
what to choose with a long stalk and light graceful 
flower; for both these desirable features too much 
praise cannot be bestowed upon the Columbines. It 
is almost impossible to keep the varieties true, as 
they are so easily cross-fertilised. With a few good 
varieties a beautiful collection may be made if care 
is taken to weed out inferior crosses as soon as they 
show their flower, before the pollen cases are acces¬ 
sible to insects. They like a sandy loam and a 
light, sheltered position. One of the best is A, 
glandulosa, a species introduced from Siberia in 
1822. The sepals are bright lilac-blue, and about 
twice as long as the petals, which are pure white. 
It lasts well when cut, and generally produces stems 
8 in. or 9 in. long. A. sibirica flore-pleno is a 
double-flowered variety, but is not so graceful as the 
single varieties.— P. R. 
-■ !»- 
KitcHen Barden Calendar. 
There is so much to do and being done in this por¬ 
tion of the garden during the early part of June that 
it is difficult to make a selection of items when the 
space at disposal is so limited. 
Peas. —Most people like these as early in the 
season as possible and as late as possible. If a late 
crop is to be grown, it should be put in now. They 
require a little more attention when sown late than 
when sown early, as they are very liable to suffer from 
lack of moisture during the long droughts which are 
often experienced during the summer months. A 
good plan to conserve the moisture in the soil is to 
take out a trench where the Peas are to be sown, 
and place about 4 in. of well-decayed manure in it— 
mushroom dung which has been turned out from 
the old beds is one of the best substances for this 
purpose. The roots soon ramify in the dung, which 
retains the water which falls on it and supplies the 
plants with valuable food at the same time. By 
sowing in this manner, and supplying water when 
required, gatherings may be made until late in the 
autumn. 
Runner and Dwarf Beans —The final sowing 
of these should now be made and kept well watered, 
for if allowed to suffer from want of moisture the 
Beans will be stringy and tough. By sowing now, a 
supply may be maintained until frost cuts them down 
in the autumn. 
Celery. —It is time now that this should be put 
into the trenches. These should have been prepared 
some time previously. The plants must be shifted 
with great care, as they soon suffer from excessive 
root interference, and if once allowed to get down, 
the constitution of the plant is so impaired that the 
effects may be noticed through the whole season. It 
is the object of many growers to grow Celery as 
large as possible, but it should be borne in mind 
that it is not grown for looking at, but for eating, 
and certainly very large Celery is often very tough 
and fibrous. Celery should be grown straight on 
without a check ; if it does receive any, the chances 
are that it will bolt to seed and be useless for eating. 
Where they very often receive a check is when 
planting into the trenches—too many are planted 
before they are watered in, or too many are taken 
up at a time and they are allowed to flag. Every 
few that are planted should be carefully watered in 
to insure success. The soil cannot be made too rich 
for it will grow to perfection in rotten dung alone, 
without the aid of any soil. Another great mistake 
is often made by careless earthing up especially the 
first earthing, which is often pressed round the 
plant too firmly, with the result that the heart is 
cramped and cannot expand properly. The soil 
should be placed round the plants very carefully 
with a trowel, bearing in mind that the tissues are 
very sensitive to injury, and rotting is inevitable 
wherever they are bruised. The leaves should be 
dusted at intervals with soot to ward off the attacks 
of the Celery fly (Tephritis Onopordinis). Where 
the leaves are badly affected they should be picked 
off and burned, to destroy the maggots which are 
causing the mischief. 
Parsnips. —These must on no account be allowed 
to become crowded. The thinning should be carried 
on from time to time until the plants are quite a foot 
apart. Parsnips do not require an extra rich soil, 
but a light, sandy, deeply-dug piece of ground suits 
them well. 
Carrots. —Those that are up should be thinned 
out according to the size of the variety. For winter 
use, sowings should be made during this month. 
Seed Beds. —Give these daily attention and see 
that they are neither crowded nor suffering from any 
cause or the plants will become weakened and un¬ 
able to withstand the attacks of their various 
enemies. 
If the weather continues to keep very dry, such 
crops as Peas and Beans will be benefited by a 
mulching of manure and occasional waterings.— R. 
