818 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
September 26. 1903. 
Readers’ Competition—continued. 
they require it, pot them on into large 60-sized pots, using a 
compost of two parts fibrous loam, one part leaf soil, and one 
part old decayed hot-bed manure, with a good dash of sand. 
Place them outdoors on a bed of coal ashes, and water very 
carefully. A sharp lookout should be kept for slugs, which are 
very partial to this class of plant, and, owing to the continued 
wet weather, these are very plentiful. 
When the pots are filled with roots they should receive 
another shift, into 6 in. pots, using the same soil, but slightly 
rougher, adding a 6 in. pot of bone meal to a barrow-load of 
soil. The aim should be to have well-established crowns before 
the winter, so as to enable them to stand frost and bad weather 
better. Give the plants weak manure water twice a week 
when well rooted, and a slight application of some fertiliser 
now and again. 
As soon as frost sets in, the pots should be plunged to the 
rims in coal ashes, and water withheld nearly altogether. In 
fact, the same treatment as applied to Strawberries in pots 
will suit them at this period. The plants should not be cod¬ 
dled at all unless the weather be very severe ; then a covering 
of straw or bracken will do them no harm. In the early spring¬ 
time the plants should be taken out and repotted into 8 in. or 
10 in. pots, using a good rich compost, and the coarser the 
better. They should never be allowed to suffer from want of 
water at this period, or the flower spikes will not be so fine. 
As they grow tall, it is advisable to stake the plants with a 
strong, neat stake, or they are liable to snap off at the base. 
They may now be fed liberally with manure water, taking care 
not to overdo this. Soot water is also a fine stimulant, if applied 
weak. It is better to feed often with weak solutions than give 
too strong doses at longer intervals. The houses devoted to 
their flowering should be kept fairly dry, as they damp off very 
quickly if placed in a wet position. The flowers should be kept 
picked off as they fade, and the plants will remain in bloom 
a considerable time. Under liberal treatment, they will attain 
a height of 8 ft. or 9 ft., thus making them very showy. 
Wistow Gardens, Leicester. R- Thatcher. 
Bulbs and Bulb Potting. 
By this time most gardeners will have potted up their Freesias 
and Roman Hyacinths, so they need not be included in what 
may be termed the annual potting up of miscellaneous bulbs 
and plants. This is a big job, and no time should be lost in 
getting the requisite number of pots washed and crocked ready 
for the bulbs as soon as they are received from the nursery¬ 
man. A suitable compost should be made up of two parts 
loam, one part leaf mould and well-decomposed manure, and 
enough sand to make the whole porous. 
Hyacinths.—In potting these 48’s and 32’s should be used, 
preferably the former. Half fill them with the compost, and 
press moderately firm ; on no account use the rammer for any 
bulb, as it will lift out of the pot rather than penetrate the 
hard lump of soil beneath it. On this shake a little sand, 
insert the bulb, and fill up to g in. of the top of the pot, and 
well firm with the thumb. 
Narcissus.—32’s and 24’s are the best sizes for these, five, 
six, or seven bulbs, according to size, to a pot. 
Tulips, Jonquils, Fritillaria Meleagris should all be put 
into 48’s, three Tulips, five Jonquils, and six or seven Fritil- 
larias to a pot, potting in the same Avay as recommended for 
Hyacinths. When ready, plunge them into ashes or leaves. 
If leaves are used, the top of the pots should be 6 in. or 7 in. 
below the surface ; 3 in. or 4 in. will be sufficient if plunged 
in ashes. When the pots are full of roots, which will be in 
five or six weeks from the time of plunging, remove them to a 
cold frame, and gradually inure them to the light by shading 
them with mats during the day, until the crowns have become 
green. Introduce into warmth, in batches of a dozen, as re¬ 
quired. A temperature of 55 degrees or 60 degrees will be 
ample. Ventilate whenever possible, and give weak liquid 
manure occasionally, to develop the flowers. 
Lily of the Valley should be potted or put in boxes, as the 
case may be, in light sandy soil, keeping the crowns just above 
the soil, and placing them 2 in. apart. Stand out in an open 
position to freeze, if possible, until required for forcing. They 
require a somewhat different treatment to the bulbs, as strong 
heat is necessary to bring them into flower. Plunge them into 
a propagating pit, in a bottom heat of 80 degrees, and keep 
quite dark. When they are 2 in. or 3 in. high they may be 
brought into cooler and lighter conditions, if foliage is re¬ 
quired ; but if only flower is wanted quickly, they may remain 
where they are until the spikes are almost developed. Re¬ 
tarded crowns are easier to manage. Pot up as recommended 
for imported crowns, and stand out in the open. Take them 
in as required, and give a temperature of 55 degrees or 60 
degrees. 
Spiraeas, Dielytras, and Polygonatum should be put in as 
small pots as it is possible to get them. Stand out in the open, 
and introduce into heat in January. H. Arnold. 
An Amateur’s Luxury. 
As far as my observations go, the best exponents of British 
Fern culture, are to be found amongst amateurs, and I believe 
that two considerations largely account for the fact. In the 
first place, this interesting class of plants, although requiring 
skill and attention for their successful cultivation, do not 
need such close attention day by day as many other things 
do ; and, in the second place, they can be grown to perfection 
at very little cost, except in the purchase of the plants, a very 
important consideration with many amateurs, especially those 
belonging to the working classes. 
Let me advocate a further development of this branch of gar¬ 
dening among amateurs. I refer to that class of Ferns known 
as the filmies. We grow them in a small way here, both in the 
fernery proper and also in a very modest unheated structure 
erected behind a north wall, and they do decidedly better under 
these latter conditions. A moderate-sized brick pit or lofty 
frame is all that is required in the way of accommodation. In 
fact, the less pretentious the structure, the greater is the chance 
of real success. If the sashes are hinged, in the case of a frame 
being used, so much the better for convenience and comfort. 
All can be grown in thoroughly-drained pots or pans, but what 
I would recommend is to grow the more vigorous kinds in pots 
or pans and the less vigorous kinds in pockets made of virgin 
cork fastened to the walls. 
The body of the frame may be devoted entirely to Todeas, 
as five or six good plants of these will fill a gcod-sized frame. 
T. superba and T. pellucida are perhaps the two best-known 
varieties, but there are several other varieties well worth grow¬ 
ing. I would specially recommend T. Fraserii, with its light 
green arching fronds, and T. grandipinnula, with massive, pel¬ 
lucid foliage. 
The varieties of Trichomanes and Hymenophyllum are all 
suitable for wall-pockets, but some of them could be grown in 
pots or pans, and placed near the front of the frame. The 
varieties of the Killarney Fern (Trichomanes radicans) are best 
known in this section, but T. trichoideum, T. augustatum, T. 
auriculatum, and T. venosum are well worth attention. Hymeno¬ 
phyllum demissitnT, H. t.unbridgense, and H. Wilsonii are all 
easily grown and very beautiful, but there are several other 
varieties well worth attention. 
In the matter of soil, equal parts of loam, peat, leaf mould, 
and sand, with some charcoal, sandstone, and sphagnum, will 
be found a suitable compost, the whole to be used in a rough, 
lumpy state, to ensure thorough drainage. If the frame is kept 
thoroughly and constantly close, as it should be, very little 
watering will be required, Imt, as the plants should be kept 
in a moist state, watering must be attended to when necessary. 
It should be given through a fine rose, and rain or river water 
should be used, as hard water often proves injurious to the 
fronds. 
The frame should be thickly shaded, except in the winter 
months. No artificial heat is necessary. Many of the varie¬ 
ties will stand a good many degrees of frost, but it is not 
advisable to let the temperature fall to freezing point.. Single 
or double mats will generally be sufficient protection in frosty 
weather, but should the frost be very intense a good plan is 
to give a coating of wheat straw. C. C. 
*** The prize last week in the Readers’ Competition was 
awarded to “ W. Anstiss ” for his article on “Cool 
Orchids,” page 789. 
