214 
THE HARDENING WORLD. 
March 7, 1903. 
easily grown. The following system of culture will be found to 
give good results : —Take cuttings from the base of the plants 
as early as they] can be had, generally about March 1st, and 
strike them along with the many bedding and other plants being 
propagated at that season. 
When rooted, pot off into 3in. pots, aaid place in an inter¬ 
mediate temperature till they have fairly taken to* the new soil, 
when they should be transferred to a cold frame. When ready, 
they should be transferred to 6in. pots, using a fairly rich soil, 
as the Salvias are all gross feeders. 
From this period till October the plants should be treated the 
same as the Chrysanthemums in nearly every detail 1 . The plants 
should be pinched when about 6in. high, and the operation 
should be repeated when other 6in. of growth have been made. 
They can be wintered in any cool house where they can get as 
much light as possible. They should get a little Clay s fertiliser 
or other approved stimulant, say once a- week, during the winter 
and until they begin to show colour. Plants grown upon the 
above lines will now be specimens from 3ft. to 4ft. high, and from 
2gft. to 3gft. in diameter, smothered with their gay scarlet 
flowers, which emit a pleasing odour. None of the .Salvias last 
long after being cut, but S. Heerii lasts as long as any variety 1 
know, and if left on the plants they last for a considerable period. 
Charles Comfort. 
Caianthes. 
These may well be described as a class of the most useful of 
our stove terrestrial Orchids, flowering as they do at a time of 
the year when flower is at a premium, and in a cut state will last 
for some considerable time. Their long racemes of flower are 
well adapted for conservatory or table work. To the amateur 
alone these are well worthy of special notice, and one often 
wonders why these plants are not more often met with and grown 
to better advantage than is the case, llieir simple means of 
culture and few details to be followed, the grower, by following 
carefully their special requirements, will doubtless be well 
rewarded for the pains bestowed upon them. 
After flowering the new bulbs may be shaken out of the 
soil, placed in a box, covering the roots either with moss or 
sand. Place in a temperature not less than 55deg., and keep dry. 
towards March they may be placed in boxes lined with nice clean 
sphagnum, the bulbs kept upright as much as possible with moss 
all around the old roots. Slightly moisten, and finally place 
them in a temperature not more than 60deg. to 65deg. A start 
will soon be made ; rooting will take place into the moss, and 
when to be potted can easily be taken out with moss adhering 
without the slightest check. The compost for this potting is 
most important, and that of the best obtainable should only be 
used, consisting of two parts fibrous loam, one part fibrous peat, 
one part chopped sphagnum moss, one part dried cow manure, 
with a good sprinkling of the rougher portions of crushed 
charcoal. 
Great care must be exercised in potting these plants or injury 
to a great extent to the tender roots will be the result. Ramming 
should not be resorted to, but simply pressing around with the 
hand will be found ample. The finer portions of thmcompost 
should be shaken out, and no sand need be added. The object 
of this is that the roots may ramify and permeate the- whole, 
and when filled with roots feeding with manure water must be 
resorted to. This should consist of cow, sheep, or soot water 
well diluted ; under no circumstances should artificials be used. 
When potted finally, place on a shelf in the stove. Very little 
water will be required at first, and overhead synngings should 
not be practised. Give all the light possible, but shade from 
brio-ht sun to prevent scorching, and give more room as leaves 
develop to prevent each leaf shading the other, irom about the 
middle of September, when the sun’s rays are lessened, fully 
expose the plants to thoroughly mature them, as without this 
we cannot expect spikes of first-rate quality. As long as leaves 
remain fresh water should be administered, but gradually 
diminish as the leaves fade. Do not hurry the plants into flower, 
the colour will doubtless be improved. Following these details 
with thoroughly-ripened bulbs, spikes may be obtained measur¬ 
ing from three to four feet in length. A. G. Salter. 
Wentworth House Gardens, .Mill Hill, N.W. 
Fibrous-rooted Begonias. 
The usefulness and beauty of the fibrous-rooted Begonias when 
used for bedding purposes during the summer mouths will be 
apparent to those who have used or seen them, lo obtain plants 
ready for planting out in May seed should now be sown in well- 
drained pots or pans in any light, porous mixture, passed thiough 
a fine sieve. The pans should be filled overnight and well watered 
with hot water, which will destroy any insects that may be m 
the soil, and the next day the seed may be sown very thinly, 
and some fine soil sifted through the dust sieve sprinkled lightly 
over the top. Press lightly, and water carefully with a fine rose 
can. The seed, if good, will soon germinate if placed in a moist 
bottom heat of 70deg. or 75deg. When the seedlings are large 
enough to handle prick them out into pans or boxes, using a 
compost of loam, leaf soil, sand, and a little fine charcoal passed 
through a quarter-inch sieve, and. water them with a fine rose 
can. Continue to grow them on in a nice warm temperature, 
placing them close to the glass, if possible, to prevent their 
getting drawn. When the boxes become filled with roots, trans¬ 
plant them into a frame placed on a mild hotbed, and keep close 
tor a day or two, gradually admitting air as the weather becomes 
more favourable. Shade from very bright sunshine, and occa¬ 
sionally give a light syringing overhead. Harden them off care¬ 
fully, eventually removing the lights off the frames altogether, 
and they should by this time make good plants ready for trans¬ 
ferring to their permanent quarters. R- Thatcher. 
Wistow Gardens, Leicester. 
Ardisia crenulata as a decorative plant. 
The necessity of having a variety of suitable decorative plants 
in winter, either as pot plants in vases or arranged in groups, is 
obvious to all who give earnest attention to the embellishment 
of their dwelling-houses or conservatories. At that season 
brightly-berried plants are acknowledged to be a welcome and 
seasonable acquisition. For decorative purposes the common 
red-berried Solanum is largely cultivated. Its cultural require¬ 
ments are so simple that anyone can grow it. If planted out in 
an open border in summer, then lifted and re-potted before the 
first frosts of winter set in, its cultivation gives no trouble. 
Another most useful berried plant is Ardisia crenulata, but it 
is not so extensively grown as the Solanum, chiefly because it is 
a stove plant; though it can be grown very successfully under 
cool treatment. It is not my intention to draw comparisons 
between the relative merits of the two kinds because, for the sake 
of variety, both should be considered indispensable. But much 
praise is due to the Ardisia, as it has an effect and charactei all 
its own. There are various methods whereby it can be pro¬ 
pagated, but I have found the best way is to grow it from seed. 
To obtain good plants of from 15 in. to 18 in. high by the end 
ot the year, sow the ripest and largest berries as soon as gathered 
in a seed-pan filled with loam and peat in equal parts, until a 
sprinkling of silver sand. It is important to sow as early as 
possible in the year, as the seeds take a few weeks to germinate, 
but very good plants can be grown from seeds sown during 
February and March. Plunge in bottom heat and keep the soil 
moderately moist. When the seedlings are about 2 in. high, the 
strongest ones should be potted in 3-in. pots, using a mixture 
of soil as before, with the addition of about one-fifth part ot dried, 
well-rotted cow manure. After potting, syringe lightly twice a 
day, and maintain a moist atmosphere until the roots have taken 
hold of the new soil. They should then be afforded a light 
situation in the house, and when well rooted shift them into 
5-in. pots, taking care to water judiciously till well established. 
Discreetly using soot manure, water, or some approved fertiliser 
after the plants become pot-bound will keep them m good colnnr 
and health. Maintain a temperature suflicient to promote sturdy 
growth. During winter they will succeed very well, provided t ie 
temperature does not fall below 45 deg. 
Bv cool treatment the berries will hang on the plants tor a 
much longer period than when grown in a stove temperature, and, 
besides, the plants do not suffer so much when removed tor 
decorative purposes. c - Gillies. 
Vines Bleeding. 
In the issue of the “ G. W.” for February 21st I noticed a reply 
lo “ Anxious Inquirer ” about a Black Hamburgh bleeding, the 
muse of tlie bleeding was ably described, but I think the cine 
could be. improved upon. Styptics and painters’ knotting may 
be verv good in their way, but when severe bleeding takes place 
they are" not effectual. A cure which I have used with pertec 
rffect is to take a plumber's soldering bolt—a piece of flat iron wi , 
do, but does not keep the heat so long—then heat it, though t 
need not he red hot ; then with it burn the end of the spur where 
it was pruned, taking care not to hold the bolt too long on the, 
cut, as damage might be done to the hud nearest the cut., 
second will do" to dry the end of the spur, then melt a little rosin— 
that used by plumbers will dc. which is cheap enough—over the. 
cut, and if neatly done it will be hermetically sealed ^ 
Easter Moffat, Airdrie, N.B. _ 
* * The prize last week in the Readers’ Competition war 
awarded to “ D. S.," for his article on “Acalypha hispida. 
p. 191. 
