February 21, 1903. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
171 
room as well-grown ones require. In some of our old gardens 
there is an excuse with big, high houses (very often more wood 
than glass), which are unfit for growing such plants. The rich 
tone of colouring in the leaves is certain to be lacking in such 
cases. 
Crotons. —Old leggy plants should either be mossed or 
cuttings taken, where plenty of bottom heat is at command ; 
this is the best plan, and if the old plants are not needed for 
more cuttings they can be thrown away. But with no means of 
bottom heat,the mossing system can be done and the moss kept 
moist till the roots appear through, when the tops should be 
cut off, potted in small pots, and kept close in a case for a few 
days. For table plants 60’s and 48’s are quite large enough ; 
if any larger it is seldom they will fit the bowls and vases with¬ 
out turning them out of the pots. Crotons require plenty of 
heat and moisture during the summer, with little or no shading, 
though in the case of a mixed stove we are bound to shade a 
little for the benefit of other plants. If they oan be grown in a 
house to themselves so much the better. Stand them as near 
the glass as possible to obtain the rich-coloured leaves, and 
where possible only syringe with rain water. As a rule, the 
graceful narrow-leaved varieties are mostly preferred and 
admired for table work to the broad and erect leaved varieties. 
Dracaenas.— Of the two I think these stand better in the 
house than Crotons, many of which are as pretty, if not quite so 
graceful in habit. The old plants cm be rung and mossed, as 
advised before ; tops may also be taken ; the stems, too, can be 
cut into pieces, or the toes may be cut from the roots and put in. 
They soon make nice plants, though with some var : eties this 
plan is not always advisable on account of the first set of leaves 
coming smaller than the others. Dracaenas require a lit le shade 
during the hottest hours of the day, with plenty of heat and 
moisture on the paths and between the plants, but syringing 
overhead is not to be recommended. 
Calamttms are, in my opinion, the prettiest of all our stove 
foliage plants. Though only in full beauty part of the year, 
they certainly give us a great variety of rich co’our, and are 
indispensable for indoor decoration if treated with discretion. 
Few foliage plants can excel well grown pots of C. argyrites (in 
small pots), and used for effect on a table. Their beautiful 
marked leaves are always admired. For a companion we may 
take C. minus erubescens ; of course, there are others equally 
as useful, but for small pots these two varieties are the best. 
One of the greatest mistakes in the culture of Caladiums is 
keeping them too dry during the winter months. The best 
plan, T have found, is to lay them on their sides, under a stage 
in the stove, with a piece of corrugated iron over the pots, till 
spring. By this method they generally get sufficient moisture 
to keep the tubers in a good condition. They delight in plenty 
of heat and moisture, both at their roots and in the atmosphere, 
during their growing period, but can be somewhat hardened off 
before using fcr the house. Withhold water when signs of dry¬ 
ing off are seen. Shading will be necessary during the summer, 
and care must be taken not to let water lie on the foliage, for 
if it does holes are soon made through the leaves. 
Another charming plant in a small pot. is Cocos weddeliana, 
a few of which will always be found-of use to the decorator. 
Many other beautiful foliage plants can be added, and, with 
the Editor’s permission, will be treated in another article at some 
future date. J. Botley. 
Lime: Its Value to Land and Growing Crops. 
February is the month when lime is of the greatest value to 
land. Gardens near large cities are subject to more poison and 
filth than in the country districts. Its value is great to all soils, 
but still more so on those heavily-cropped lands near to large 
towns where much town refuse is used, as it not only tends to 
keep the land sweet, but its action on the soil makes it more 
friable to work, especially for spring sowing. Apply 1 cwt. to 
about 15 square yards for a medium dressing. When it has 
fallen to a dry powder the lime should be forked into the soil. 
This is where many gardeners seem to make a mistake. The 
lime is left on the surface of the land too long, when it gets 
into a soddened condition. How can we expect it to operate on 
wireworms, slugs, and grubs when its fresh, caustic state is 
gone? This must be specially boime in mind—it must be applied 
when it reaches a fine dry powder, not left till it gets in a 
soddened condition. I would remind readers not to apply lime 
and manure together. My experience has taught me that they 
must be worked into the land separately, say a few weeks 
between them. We find it of immense value during the growing 
season for checking the following diseases:—Cabbage fly and 
grub, finger-and-toe in Turnips, Celery and Onion maggot; 
also a dusting of lime on any infected plants during the growing 
season will be found beneficial. One to 21bs. of lime and lib. ot 
sulphate of copper, dissolved in water separately, with the addi¬ 
tion of 8 to 10 gallons of water, well syringed on the Potato 
foliage about July, will be of the greatest assistance in checking 
Potato disease. At this dull season a lime wash on fruit trees 
will be of immense value to trees attacked with moss and lichen 
growth. Lime is of the greatest value to gardeners to secure 
healthy and clean crops. William Smith. 
4a, Burnt Tree Lane, Sheffield. 
The Gloxinia. 
Among the many beautiful stove perennials none are more 
worthy of appreciation than the Gloxinia, and none are more 
striking than a batch of those lovely plants when they are well 
grown. During the past few years much has been done to 
improve these beautiful flowers, and it may be said that they 
have now been brought to a state of perfection in the accomplish¬ 
ment of the erect-flowered forms and the many exquisite 
varieties now to be obtained. They are of very easy culture, 
and their adaptability for table and conservatory decoration 
should secure for them a front rank in every garden. Much could 
be said regarding the merits of the Gloxinia, but 1 will restrict 
my remarks to a few details regarding its culture and 
management. 
As the Gloxinia produces very fine fibrous roots, a very light 
soil must be used for potting, and great care must be exercised 
in the administration of water. They delight in a warm, moist 
atmosphere, in a temperature between 60deg. and 70deg., and 
during all stages of their growth they should be shaded from 
thedirect rays of the sun. The Gloxinia is very easily raised from 
seed, which should be sown in pans filled with a very light sandy 
soil. Do not cover the seeds when sowing, but place a piece of 
glass over each pan, and then plunge them in a bed with a good 
bottom heat in a warm house or pit. Should the soil become 
dry, partially submerge the pans in water, but do not water over¬ 
head. The seeds will soon germinate, and immediately the little 
plants are large enough to handle prick them off into 2gin. pots 
failed with soil similar to that used for sowing in. After they are 
potted give them a gentle spray overhead, and then remove them 
to a nice warm moist house, remembering always to shade from 
strong sunshine. When they have well filled these pots with 
roots, shift them carefully into 4in. pots, and in those they 
should be allowed to flower. 
A good compost for their final potting consists of two parts soft- 
fibrous loam, fully one part of leaf mould and peat, half part 
well-decayed horse manure, with a good sprinkling of silver 
sand, good drainage being also essential. On no account must 
the plants suffer for want- of water, though they do better if 
kept on the dry side at the roots, and given a gentle spray or a 
light syringe overhead night and morning. Always allow the 
pots to emit a clear sound when tapped before watering. Very 
weak liquid manure should be given two or three times a week 
whenever the plants begin to show their flower, but it must 
always be given in a veiy weak state, otherwise it will do more 
harm than good. After they are finished flowering the bulbs 
should be ripened off by gradually withholding water and 
moisture until the foliage naturally dies away. They should 
then be rested for the winter by placing the pots on their sides in 
any dry place where the temperature does not fall below 50deg. ; 
if their pots are required they oan be shaken out and stored in 
dry sand or cocoanu-t fibre. When the convenient time arrives 
for starting them in the spring, the pots -should be watered and 
placed on a shelf near the glass in a warm, moist house. Bulbs 
that have been stored in sand or co-coanut fibre should be placed 
on a bed with a bottom heat- in any light material that will hold 
moisture until growth commences. As soon as they start to 
make growth shade them out and repot them, using a compost 
the same as that used for the final potting of the seedlings, and 
grow them on as described above. 
If green fly appear, fumigate with XI All. Special varieties 
can be very easily propagated from leaf cuttings. Where a 
house cannot be allotted to themselves, if started in a little hea-t 
they do admirably well in an intermediate greenhouse or stove. 
And if a few bulbs are started at intervals, with a little care, no 
difficulty should be experienced in obtaining a grand display of 
t-he=e charming flowers during the greater part of the season. 
Strathblane. M. S. 
The prize for February 14th in the Readers’ Com¬ 
petition was awarded to “ W. B.” for his article on “ Hints 
on Orchid Culture,” p. 128. By an oversight this was 
crowded out last week. 
*** The prize last week in the Readers’ Competition was 
awarded to “ C. Comfort” for his article on “Covering 
Fernery Walls,” p. 148. Some of the articles last week were 
over one column in length and ineligible. 
