February 14, 1903. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
147 
•Q-u-* A TT* tTS g* T T& if 'D'ET' 'T*¥'T' "S’ TWT For details of this competition and prDe offered, please 
K r j r\ U 11/113 V«/ Vx IVM .T £L/ ill see page 143. Please post on Friday night. 
Spring Propagation of Bedding Geraniums. 
As this has perhaps been a trying year on the bedding 
Geraniums, a few words on the spring propagation of them 
might not be .taken amiss. To those who have a command of 
artificial heat the winter losses can soon be replaced and 
another dozen or two added, of which there never seems to be 
too many when bedding time comes. Place a few of the 
autumn-struck and the old plants that were lifted and potted 
when the beds were cleared into a temperature of 60 deg. to 
65 deg. early in February. As soon as they make a fresh 
growth of a few inches, and have fairly well filled the j)ots with 
roots, top them for cuttings. A few leaves should always be 
left on the parent plants; and do not be too hard on the old 
lifted plants at one time, as they are apt to receive a check if 
all cut off at once. 
Strike in March and early in April, after the plants have 
been excited into fresh growth. Well-drained pots or boxes, 
filled with equal parts loam, leaf-soil, and sand, put through 
a jdn. riddle, form an excellent compost for striking in. After 
the cuttings are put in, water them to settle the soil ; place 
them in a temperature of 65 deg. near the glass, keep the soil 
moderately moist, and in three weeks or so they will be ready 
to pot off. In potting them be careful with the roots. Three- 
inch pots with a compost of loam, leaf-soil, and a little sand 
will suit. After potting, put them back into the same heat they 
were struck in till the roots get round the sides of the pot, 
when they can be removed to colder quarters and hardened 
off, the 3-in. pots suiting them nicely till they are bedded out. 
The evils to avoid are a damp, stagnant atmosphere and 
keeping them too wet; and, on the other hand, allowing them 
to get so dry as to cause them to shrivel. By propagating in 
this way it is astonishing how the stock can be increased. 
J. W. E. 
Propagating Crotons and Dracaenas. 
For such plants as Crotons and Dracaenas that have become 
drawn and leggy through being taken into the dwelling-house 
the present is a good time to propagate from them. The first- 
method is by ringing; that is, taking off the bark about J in. 
wide round the plant and tying some moss and sand over the 
wound, keeping it constantly moist with the syringe. When 
roots strike through the moss, take off the tops and pot them, 
keeping the same a little closer than before. The second 
method is known as bottling. Take off tire top of the plant 
about 9 in., insert in a wide-necked bottle filled with water, and 
charcoal to keep it sweet. The third method for propagating 
Dracaenas is to cut the stems up into- pieces about 1 -.! in. long, 
covering them with cocoanut fibre and sand slightly in a good 
bottom heat . Another method is by the toes or fleshy rhizomes 
that form at the bottom of the pot. These may be treated the 
same way as for the stems, keeping them constantly moist. 
Another good way is by cuttings. For Crotons that is simply 
making them into cuttings and inserting the same round the 
edges of small pots, syringing and treating the same as before 
mentioned. J. Harwood. 
Crouch Gardens, Seaford, Sussex. 
The Sweet Pea. 
The Sweet Pea has become fashionable. It deserves to- be 
fashionable. Where cut flowers are in demand it is indis¬ 
pensable. To ladies especially it is a great favourite. Its 
sweet scent, light and graceful habit of growth, and harmonious 
colours make it veiy suitable for room, and especially for 
dinner-table decoration. It gives a continuous crop of flowers 
irom the end of June to far into the autumn if proper attention 
is given to cultural details. 
However, it is only from the point of view of the exhibitor 
1 write, for lack of space prevents me from dealing with the 
whole of the subject. A selection of varieties is left out for 
the same reason. 
The ideal soil for the Pea tribe is a good rich calcareous one. 
Analysis of the plant-ash shows it to be rich in lime. This 
must be considered when preparing the soil. A soil deficient 
in lime should, if heavy, be improved by the addition of chalk ; 
but on dry soils a light dressing of quicklime is better; or 
chemical manures having lime as a base may be used, both to 
afford lime and manure. 
Heavy soils should be trenched 2 ft. to 3 ft. deep, and horse- 
manure dug in between each spit. Do this before Christmas, 
as the manure will have time to become decomposed and ready 
for absorption by the plant. 
Shallow soils are best left till after Christmas, and bastard 
trenched, but work in jDlenty of cow manure between each spit. 
The method of cramming a deep trench full of manure, as for 
Celery, is not recommended, for it is better to- distribute the 
manure over the whole plot of ground to encourage the wider 
ramifications of the roots. 
According to some theorists Peas do not require extraneous 
applications of nitrogenous manures, as all leguminous plants 
are able to extract nitrogen from the soil by means of root 
nodules containing bacteria, which feed upon and fix the free 
nitrogen of the air and render it available as plant food for 
the host plant. 
It is true that good crops of Peas can be grown without 
farmyard manure and nitrogenous salts, but it is the gardenerts 
business to improve upon Nature if he can ; and improvement 
is certainly made by the use of farmyard manure, which con¬ 
tains 3‘71 per cent, soluble nitrogen. Indeed, I find that 
nitrate of soda is beneficial, especially in promoting early 
growth before the nitrifying bacteria begin to operate. Nitrate 
of soda must, however, be used with great caution—a mere 
sprinkle is sufficient. Superphosphate of lime is a good 
chemical manure, providing phosphorus and the indispensable 
lime as well. This is best dusted along the trenches when 
transplanting, at the rate of a good handful to 2 yards. 
Kainit, used at the rate of 4 lb. per 40 square yards, should 
be sprinkled on the trenched ground in early winter. This 
provides potash, another necessaiy aid to Pea culture. 
The colour of the flowers will depend largely upon the 
amount of non in the soil, and upon whether it is in the form 
of sulphate or oxide of iron. Sulphate is harmful, but oxidises 
on exposure to air, and is then beneficial. The production of 
chlorophyll depends upon the presence of iron in the soil, and 
the modification of chlorophyll into floral colouring depends 
upon the same chemical. When the soil lacks iron, sulphate 
of iron may be used with great effect upon Peas. One oz. of 
iron sulphate in 1 gallon of water quickly oxidises, and can 
be applied in the ordinary way of watering. 
Sow seeds thinly in pots or boxes under glass about the 
end of January. Place them in a temperature of 45 deg. to 
germinate; keep them close to the glass for two or three weeks, 
then place them in cold frames until the beginning of April, 
then transplant them to rows or clumps. Plant them singly 
6 in. apart in round, shallow depressions 2 ft. across, or in 
shallow trenches, double rows in the latter case. The super¬ 
phosphate of lime should be sprinkled in the trenches before 
planting. 
Place the sticks to the Peas as soon as possible when planting 
is finished; they afford slight protection. When a few inches 
of growth are made draw up the soil to the plants, but still leave 
a slight depression for water. Before the spring rainfall 
evaporates give a heavy mulch of strawy manure or any 
material which prevents evaporation. This is important, even 
more important than watering alone. Peas seldom get too 
much water, and without mulching never get enough; there¬ 
fore mulch, but also water well and often, for manures are 
useless without water to dissolve and distribute them. Peas 
sown as above will produce flowers in the Midlands the last 
week in June, and for shows during July would be at their 
