846 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
August 31, 1901. 
The season is fast approaching when it will be time 
to transplant trees, and this week I intend to write 
a few hints on the subject of ornamental trees for 
the garden. Like as in the soft-wooded denizens of 
our gardens there are just a privileged few trees 
which are grown to the exclusion of all others, not 
because they are the best, but because they are the 
only ones which are considered within the means of 
an amateur’s pocket. As I said when speaking on 
this subject relating to flowers, the sooner the idea 
is done away with the better it will be for the 
appearance of the garden. There are such a large 
number of trees and shrubs which are superior to 
these now generally grown and yet of the same 
price that it is difficult to make a selection. 
Golden Privet. — Where can a brighter and more 
suitable shrub for the front garden be found than 
this ? All the year round it is an object of beauty, 
and yet few people dare to ask the price of the 
plants. The impression is that they are too choice 
for their means, but inquiry would show that it is 
one of the cheapest shrubs for ornamental planting, 
and for a few shillings a flee batch may be obtained. 
Its cheapness is easily accounted for, as it strikes so 
easily from cuttings that an enormous stock can 
quickly be raised from a good bush. It grows 
quickly, and taken all round is one of the best 
shrubs the amateur can grow. When once planted 
it requires no other attention beyond occasional 
watering in very dry weather and the use of the 
knife to keep it in shape. 
Berberis Darwinii.— The Barberry tribe produces 
many fine garden shrubs, and this is one of the best 
of them. In the spring, when it is in bloom, it is 
almost safe to say there is no other plant to equal it 
for beauty. It grows to 6 ft. or 7 ft. high, and the 
branches, which are clothed with tiny dark coloured 
evergreen leaves, form a dense arching mass. The 
flowers are of a beautiful orange-yellow colour, and 
in the spring the bush is literally crowded with 
them As the leaves are small it makes an excellent 
shrub for a garden which is subjected to dust. It 
will grow in any ordinary garden soil and will 
quickly become established and make a fine bush. 
When growing in a light rich soil It will often 
bloom again in the autumn. It can be propagated 
by layering. 
Weigela rosea. —This is another very preity 
shruo and should be grown in every garden where 
partial shade can be given. It delights in light 
shading, but objects to being crowded. As the 
name denotes, the colour of the flowers is of a 
beautiful rose shade. It makes a pretty bush, and 
when grown in good soil it will attain the height of 
10 ft. It has to be seen to be fully appreciated, as 
no words can adequately describe its beauty. It 
requires careful pruning in the early spring before it 
commences to grow, as at that time it is best to 
dispense with as much of the old wood as possible. 
The stock may easily be increased by propagating 
from the suckers, which are freely produced. The 
cost of the shrub is very low and well within the 
means of even the artisan. 
Rubus fruticosus rosea plena.— The merits of this 
beautiful Bramble are not sufficiently known, or 
it would be seen oftener than at present even if it 
does cost a trifle more than some of the other shrubs ; 
but small plants may be obtained very cheaply, and 
like its sisters, the Wild Brambles, it is a rampant 
grower and a most profuse bloomer. It is usually 
at its best at this time of the year, and for several 
weeks past it has been an object of admiration to the 
visitors to Kew Gardens. An ideal way of growing 
it is in a bed in the centre of the front garden. 
Drive in two or three stout stakes about 6 ft. high, 
and up these train the main shoots of the young 
plants, and after this has been done allow them to 
choose their own method of growth. In a year or 
two a fine clump will be produced, whose beauty 
whin in bloom will be unsurpassable. As maybe 
siei by the bushes in bloom now at Kew it is not 
much affected by dry weather. The blooms are 
perfectly double and rosy red, and in general appear¬ 
ance much resemble double Daisies. Owing to its 
resemblance to double red Daisies it is often 
catalogued as Rubus bellidiflora. Shoots may be 
easily layered at this time of the year if they are put 
in moist light soil. 
Cerasus Pseudocerasus.—The Japanese double 
Cherry is one of the most free flowering bushes or 
trees we have in the spring, and where the soil is 
fairly deep amateurs should endeavour to grow it, as 
a more showy specimen cannot be wished for than 
this is in the months of April and May, when its 
branches are laden with masses of lovely pink 
flowers. It is a fairly quick growing plant and well 
suited for town gardens. A form may be obtained 
which produces a good stem and grows well as a 
standard. Space will not allow me to mention 
more, but I shall deal with the subject again later 
on. If amateurs who intend to lay out money on 
trees this autumn will only spend it cn these few 
mentioned they will produce an effect difficult to 
beat .—Hortus 
* 1 —- 
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. 
How to Grow Hyacinths in Pots.— Streatham : The 
soil should be of a light nature and the pots must be 
well drained. The bulbs should then be potted up 
lightly, just allowing the crown to appear above the 
soil. If the soil is pressed down tightly the growing 
roots will lift up the bulb insead of penetrating into 
the soil as they ought to do. After they have been 
potted up and watered they should be buried in 
moist ashes. Treated thus, they will soon fill the 
pots with roots, and when they start to push their 
leaves they should be taken out of the ashes and 
gradually exposed to the light, and then brought 
along either in the gieenhouse or in the living room 
window. The richness of the soil does not much affect 
this season’s blcom, as the nutriment which is to 
produce this season’s flower was mostly stored up in 
the bulb last year. This fact should be borne in 
mind if the bulbs are to be saved, as after this year’s 
flower spike has been produced the plant will begin 
to store away nutriment for the next year’s effort. 
To asssist it in this work it should be kept well sup¬ 
plied with water and manure until the leaves begin 
to ripen, when water should be gradually withheld. 
Wintering Small Carnations.—S. • A little frost 
will not hurt them,and they ought to do all right in a 
frame if you cover them with mats during the severe 
weather. Plunge the pots to the rim either in ashes 
or cocoanut fibre. Give all the light and air possible 
and attend most assiduously to the keeping of the 
plants clean and all the decaying matter picked out, 
Damp, you will find, is a far worse enemy to be 
guarded against than cold, and unless well attended 
to the grower often suffers considerable loss from 
this cause. 
Asparagus plumosus Failing.— N. B .: The plant 
is probably starved, and we should advise you to 
rest it until the spring and then turn it out from the 
large pot, and after shaking much of the old soil 
from the ball divide it and pot it up again into 6-in. 
pots, using a rich, leafy soil and a good addition of 
sand. This, we think, will put new vigour into your 
plants, and if kept for a few weeks in a warm, moist 
house and have frequent light sprayings from the 
syringe, they will soon throw up new growth and 
may then all be potted into the big pot again or 
allowed to stay in the small ones, just which is most 
desirable. Red spider often causes the plants to look 
in ill-healtb, and perhaps tbis was partly the caus e 
of the condition of your plant. But if it has been in 
the pot as long as you state it certainly deserves a 
shift. 
Begonia Gloire de Lorraine. — Harris: This 
Begonia, you will find, does best in a warm house, 
at least, it produces much larger plants when grown 
thus, and blooms well all through the winter if given 
a temperature of 60° to 65°. It may be grown with 
ease in a cool greenhouse, but when grown cool it 
forms a much shorter growth and the plant is 
altogether smaller, but it still retains its free flower¬ 
ing characteristics. Plants may be obtained very 
cheaply from any good nurseryman. When buying 
in plants see that you have an understanding as to 
how they have been grown, as they are very suscepti¬ 
ble to sudden changes. 
Two Best Double Yiolets for Frames.— Buckley : 
We have seen numerous varieties tried, but none 
have given better satisfaction all round than the two 
old favourities, Marie Louise (dark) and Neapolitan 
(light). 
A good Bulb Firm.— C. P .: We have many letters 
asking us the names of firms to be answered through 
these columns. If you wish for information on that 
point we will do our best to advise you in 
special cases, but a careful look down our 
advertisement columns will generally supply the 
information you need, and you have only to send a 
post card to the firms advertising and they will send 
you by return of post catalogues and price lists of 
their specialities. 
Chimonanthus fragrans grandiflora.— W. W. : 
From the description which you give of your tree we 
think it must be the above beautiful plant. There 
are few trees that bloom in the depth of winter and 
what there are none are more fragrant than this- 
We recommend all our readers who do not possess a 
specimen of this to procure one as soon as possible- 
It likes a S.E. wall and a sheltered position. The 
blooms last a long time after the shoots have been 
cut and fill the room with a most refined scent. You 
may propagate your plant by layering it. 
Are Crimson Rambler Roses Hardy 1 —Query : 
This is a question which we are often asked, so for 
the enlightment of those of our readers who are still 
J n doubt we will again say that no danger need be 
apprehended from cold as they stand the winter as 
well as any other Roses and are, in fact, quite as 
hardy as the hardiest of the family. They do not 
seem to make their way into the amateurs’ gardens 
as they ought to do as they are now to be obtained 
very cheaply, and no Rose is a quicker grower or a 
more prolific bloomer. They thrive best in a deep 
rich loam ; for covering arches they are indispensable. 
The Best Position for Pyrus Japonica.— M .: 
Some choose to make a separate genus of this and 
call it Cydonia japonica, but according to the Genera 
Plantarum Pyrus is correct. You will find that a 
sheltered wall facing the S.W. will suit the tree as 
well as any where. If the trees are grafted on the common 
Quince you will have little difficulty in training them. 
We should rot advise you to grow the white variety 
unless you have a very sheltered position as it is 
often a very shy grower. 
When to make a new Strawberry bed.— G. J .: 
You cannot choose a better time than the present 
for this purpose. If the ground has not been 
already deeply dug and manured it should be done 
so at once and lightly trodden down again before the 
plants are put in, as a loose soil by no means suits 
them. Allow 2 ft. between the plants and 2J ft. 
between the rows. This seems a lot of room but 
the plants are greatly benefited by it, and it has the 
advantage of allowing Lettuces, etc. to be grown 
between the rows It the autumn is dry attend care¬ 
fully to the watering or the plants are bound to 
suffer. 
To make Bordeaux Mixture .—Fungus : Bordeaux 
Mixture is made by dissolving half a pound of blue 
stone (sulphate of copper) in two gallons of water 
and then slaking half a pound of good stone lime in 
the same quantity of water. The two are then mixed 
thoroughly together and allowed to stand at least 
twenty-four hours before using. It is extremely poison¬ 
ous and great care must therefore be used in its 
application, and except in their very early stages it 
should not be used on vegetables nor on fruit which 
is to be gathered a short time after. 
Lavender Cuttings.— Dictum : Now is the best 
time to take your cuttings. They should be inserted 
in sandy soil and placed under a handlight until the 
spring, or you can shelter them in your window 
during the winter. 
The Apple Crop generally is not so good as it was 
last year. 
