832 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
August 24, 1901. 
As I promised last week, I intend to continue my 
hints on some of the most popular spring bulbs. 
Crocuses. — These harbingers of spring are popu¬ 
lar favourites with everyone, but there are many 
people who fail to grow them as successfully as they 
wish to. In general they are very little trouble if 
given the proper soil in which to grow and a good 
position. Too many people try to grow Crocuses in 
a wet, heavy soil, and they may try all their life and 
they will never be successful, as the corms resent 
such an environment as is provided by a wet soil, 
which is too often in conjunction with a shady 
position. They thrive best in a light sandy soil, but 
one that is rich as well as light. An ideal place for 
Crocuses is where they are naturalised in the grass. 
No bulb lends itself more readily to this class of 
cultivation, if it may be termed such, as they are 
simply allowed to grow wild. Anyone who visits the 
public parks in the spring will find that this method 
is being adopted very largely, especially on the 
mounds at Kew, Regent's Park, and St. [ames’ 
Park, where they make carpets of colour in the 
early part of the spring. People generally confine 
themselves to the one sort, but there are numerous 
sorts obtainable from good bulb nurseries. A few 
blue, purple, and white varieties judiciously mixed 
with the yellow and orange colours considerably 
enhance the beauty of the effect. A better time for 
planting cannot be chosen than the first week in 
September. As sparrows often, or always, with very 
few exceptions, make a raid on the blooms, it is 
advisable to stretch cotion over the beds. There 
are several beautiful species which are autumn 
blooming. It is too late now to plant these for this 
year’s blooming, as they ought to be in flower 
before the beginning of August. One very pretty 
species is Crocus iridiflorus, a purple and lilac; it 
ought to be seen in every garden, as the flowers are 
of exceptional beauty 
Snowdrops.— At the first thought it seems waste 
of space to give hints on the culture of Snowdrops, 
but far too many amateurs rely oa the one species, 
Galanthus nivalis This, although certainly a very 
pretty lit lie flower, has been put in the back-ground 
by more recent introductions. The one that seems 
to find the most favour is G. Elwesii, which is the 
largest one grown. There is a pale yellow variety 
also to be bad, but at present its price is rather too 
high for the majority of pockets, and its constitution 
does not seem to be good. Snowdrops may be 
grown in pots, but on no account must they be 
placed in heat, as they will not stand it. The bulbs 
of Snowdrops should not be plant-d later than the 
middle of September. They give a very good effect 
when grown under large trees, and so loog as the 
soil is not too heavy they will thrive in such posi¬ 
tions for years without any attention. Mice often 
make raids on the bulbs in the winter. The only 
remedy for this is to employ every means within 
power to exterminate them. 
Chionodoxas.—Who does not love this pretty 
little flower coming as it does so early in ihe year, 
and thus earning for itself the name of “ Glory of the 
Snow ” ? There are several varieties to be obtained, 
but the old C. Luciliae seems to still hold its own, 
and it will take a good flower to beat it, with its 
pretty blue and white flowers. They give the best 
effect either when growing in the grass or when in 
clumps on the rockery. 
Bulbocodiums.— Only one species is known in this 
genus of plants, namely, B. vernum, but that one is 
well worth knowing, owing to its beauty and early 
flowering propensities. In mild seasons it produces 
its highly coloured, Crocus-like flowers as early as 
January. The flower is produced before the leaves, 
which are of a pretty shade of green and lance¬ 
shaped. It requires the same treatment as the 
Crocus, and as the corms can be obtained very 
cheaply, they ought to bo more popular than they 
are at present. I am sure it is only because they 
are unknown that they are not seen more frequently. 
Hepaticas.—There are few flowers to be had early 
in the year, but what there are seem to be very 
pretty. By no means the least beautiful are the 
Hepaticas, especially H. triloba, or as it is cow 
called, Anemone Hepatica. The flowers are pro¬ 
duced during February and March, and with the 
numerous red, white, and blue varieties a very 
pretty show can be made at that time of the year if 
the plants are given a deep, rich soil and left un¬ 
disturbed for several years. Double varieties may 
also be had, and are more durable than the single 
ones — Hortus. 
-- 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
A nyone 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. 
Fumigation of the Greenhouse.— C. S. : We know 
of nothing which will remove the offensive smell 
which pervades the greenhouse after fumigating 
with tobacco paper. It can be dispelled in a day or 
two by giving an abundance of air We should not 
advise you to use the old fashioned tobacco paper 
with its noxious perfume, but buy one of the patent 
vaporisers which prove a cheap and effective remedy 
for all insect pests, and the odour emitted is not 
nearly so unpleasant as that of smoke, and by the 
middle of the next day after using it no trace of the 
smell can be found. Be careful to measure the 
interior of your house before using these patent 
vaporisers, and then measure out your liquid exactly 
as recommended, as excess may prove disastrous and 
an insufficient quantity may be ineffective. 
To keep Celery Clean.— Show: This is a very 
easy matter if a little care is taken. It should not be 
earthed up in the ordinary way but should be 
blanched by putting folds of brown paper round it. 
This must be watched to see that it is kepi dry or 
the result will be worse than when soil is used. 
Planting Roses —Country : We should not advise 
you to buy in your Rose trees for another few weeks. 
Late in September is a very good time for shifting 
Rose trees. Be sure you do not allow the roots to 
get dry, and take precautions against this danger by 
wrapping them either in wet straw or wet mats, for 
if once they are allowed to get dry the ill effects are 
sure to show themselves in the following season by 
impaired health and waDt of vigour. It is through 
buying Rose trees in this state that so maoy failures 
ensue. When planting take care to make the holes 
of sufficient size to allow of the roots being spread 
out evenly on the bottom, and plant them as low as 
they were before. If your soil is rich do not give 
any manure, and at all times use it judiciously, as it 
often produces rank growth. Do not plant your 
standards at less than 3 ft. apart, and see that they 
do not suffer from want of water if the autumn is 
dry. If the trees have much wood in them they may 
be pruned back slightly ; tut do not cut them about 
too much or they will perhaps push their dormant 
buds, and if they do, they are sure to be destroyed 
during the winter. Defer pruning until all danger 
of frost is past in the spring. 
Red Spider on Hollyhocks.— Avery: The best 
plan to rid the plants ol this insidious pest is to keep 
them well syringed with clear water or with the 
addition of a small quantity of soft soap. Take care 
to wet the under side of the leaves, as it is there 
that the insects generally work. It . the plants are 
syriDged twice a day for a week they ought to be 
freed from it without any other trouble. Are you 
sure that it is the red spider or is it the Hollyhock 
disease ? 
To dry off Onions.— Jardin : With a dry season 
like the past one you ought not to experience much 
difficulty in drying off your bulbs. The reason that 
they have not died down is because they are growing 
in too rich and loose a soil, or have been kept 
watered too long. Go over them and carefully bend 
over the t jps of all those which show a tendency to 
still continue growing ; this will induce them to 
ripen When they are ripened they should be laid 
on a dry walk in the sun for a few days with a mat 
over them at night to keep them dry. To keep them 
well, be sure and store them in a dry, airy place 
where they will be safe from frost. Hanging them 
up in bunches, or making Onion poles is preferable 
to laying them on the floor. 
To Dry Herbs. — Kitchen : This will be found the 
best monih for drying the majority of pot herbs. 
They are usually gathered just before they come 
into bloom, and some people say that they are best 
in that condition. They require careful drying to 
retain their flavour. The best method is to hang 
them in bunches in a dry, airy place and surround 
them with tissue paper or linen to keep off the dust. 
When they are quite dry they should be stored in 
ventilated cardboard boxes. It is a bad plan to 
store them, as they are often done, in bunches hang¬ 
ing from the ceiling, as they become covered with 
all kinds of filthy deposits when hung in snch 
exposed positions. 
Crimson Rambler Rose for the Greenhouse. — 
F : If given a light, airy position a better plant for 
the decoration of a cool house cannot be had, as it 
blooms so freely, and when grown indoors for a very 
long time. As it is a most vigorous grower it must 
be watched to see that it does not get too thick and 
crowded, or it will be sure to be attacked by mildew. 
Whenever possible it should be syringed, as red 
spider proves troublesome in very dry seasons. Do 
not give it a soil which is too rich. 
Tree Ivies .—Ivy : You will find these very fine 
bushes for the purpose you state, but you must bear 
in mind that they are not such rapid growers as the 
climbing varieties. See that you obtain plants 
which are on their own roots, as it is a very common 
plan to graft them on quick growing stocks. They 
grow much quicker in this way, but there is always 
a lot of trouble with the stock, as it will throw out 
shoots from below the base unless well looked after 
and the knife kept at work. Keep them well watered 
and grow them in a fairly rich soil, but do not have 
any fresh manure in it. They are difficult to root 
and take a long time before they make good plants, 
thus causing them to be dearer than the common 
wall Ivy. For making bold evergreen clumps on the 
side of the lawn there is nothing to surpass ihem. 
Hardy Chrysanthemums. —B. K.\ If you find 
that your plants will not come into bloom before the 
frosts are expected, we advise you to lift them and put 
them in boxes of leaf mould. Get as good a ball as 
possible and, if carefully watered, they will not be 
much affected by the transference. 
Maggot in Cineraria Leaves.—S.: We do not 
know of any remedy for this troublesome pest other 
than hand picking unless the plant is destroyed also. 
With careful searching and then picking out the 
grub with a pin, they may be exterminated before 
much damage is done. The Marguerites should 
receive the same treatment. You will find that the 
yellow variety of Marguerite, named Etoile d’ Or, is 
very susceptible to this disfigurement, and for this 
reason should always be grown apart from the other 
varieties. 
Bulbs for Window Boxes .—D H.\ When your 
summer plants have died down it will be time 
enough for putting in your bulbs. They should be 
covered during very cold weather with mats, or 
better still the boxes should be taken indoors. The 
best way of growing bulbs for the window box is to 
grow them in pots and then plant them out just 
before they flower, takirg care that the balls are 
kept intact. Leaf soil will be all that is requiied to 
put round them when they are turned out from their 
pots. By growing them in this way some very 
pretty combinations of colour may be made as they 
can be arranged after they begin to show colour. 
Passionflowers Dropping.— O .: This seems a 
very common complaint from many growers this 
season, and doubtiess the weather is the main cause. 
In nine cases out of ten it may be traced to lack of 
moisture at the root and in the other to poor soil. 
Both causes are easily remedied, and jou should 
apply the obvious remedy to whichever you think is 
the cause. If you find that it is the drought, then 
loosen the surface and give a thoroughly good soak¬ 
ing. If you think that it is both, then give a weak 
stimulant in the water and afterwards mulch the 
surface of the ground for a few feet round the stem. 
It is only natural for the flowers to remain open one 
day, and perhaps you may have mistaken some of 
the closed up blooms for fallen buds. You ought 
not to have any trouble to keep your plant through 
the winter if you protect its roots and the base of 
the stem with dry litter or mats. The vine is gener- 
