THE QARDBNINQ WORLD. 
May i6, 190S. 
426 
Ficus pandurata at Ghent. 
them are grown for the sake of their foliage alone in this- 
country. That under notice has the largest leaves of any 
coming under our notice, and- between it and F. stipulate, 
minima there is a vast difference in the matter of the size of 
the leaves. The leaf of F. pandurata, when the plant is in 
full vigour, is 2' ft, to'2 J ft. in length by 12 in. to 15 in. in 
breadth. Whether this plant will prove popular will depend 
upon its suitability for general cultivation for decorative pur¬ 
poses in the stove, and whether it is easily grown or otherwise. 
Various terms might be applied to the leaves, such as bold, 
striking, massive, and handsome in relation to proportions. 
We think, however, that the most suitable opening for it will 
be as a sub-tropical plant in the flower garden, provided it 
proves amenable for cultivation in our climate during the 
summer months. Even if it had to be grown in pots sunk in 
the soil, it could hardly fail to prove an interesting plant on 
account of its massiveness-, provided the leaves do not get 
injured by wind or sun. 
The species is a native of China, and was first described by 
Hance in the “ Annales de Societe Naturelle, Ser. IV., XVIII.,” 
in the year 1862. The specimens represented by our illustra¬ 
tion were exhibited by Messrs. F. Sander and Sons, at the 
Ghent Quinquennial Exhibition, April 18th to 26tli. 
Seedling Dahlias. 
Any growers of Dahlias who are desirous of raising novelties 
should have been preparing for so doing by sowing the seed 
about the beginning of March. Dahlias are very easily raised 
from seed, and, in the case of singles, it has been the custom 
for some time to annually plant out seedlings, which are almost 
less trouble than the plants struck from cuttings, or the old 
tubers, which are kept through the winter and planted out 
direct, or first potted ; but the raising of Cactus Dahlias is of 
more recent date. It is of these we wish chiefly to speak, 
although the treatment of the seedlings is similar, whether they 
be single, double, or Cactus. Seed should be sown in pans or 
boxes, and the boxes stood near the hot-water pipes with a 
pane of glass over them to keep the moisture- even. A tem¬ 
perature of 60 deg. is as good as any, when the seed will be 
but a week or so in starting, and the seedlings should be pricked 
off when fairly up, and considerably before they produce their 
first rough leaves. 
If Cactus seedlings, reject the strong ones, as they are 
generally the rubbish. This is an important point, as so many 
of the finest-looking plants are singles and semi-doubles. Grow 
on the seedlings in middle 60-pots, potting them in a good com¬ 
post. They are fond of leaf-mould, and if potted in a compost 
of half loam and half leaf mould, with which is added, say, a 
gallon to the bushel of both sand and finely-sifted ashes, they 
will make fine sturdy plants by the ordinary planting-out time 
for Dahlias. 
An open sunny position is best for the seedlings when pricked 
off, and it is best to water them sparingly for a while, and 
always with the rose on the water-pot. If the soil gets wet 
it soon, becomes, sour, and then the' seedlings get sickly, and 
veiy often fail altogether. Greenfly is particularly fond of 
these plants, and it is best to water very often with a little 
sooty water—in fact, a bag of soot in the water-tank is a very 
great benefit, but more likely than not the plants will need 
fumigation more than once. When about 4 in. high harden off 
in frames and treat them in every way as ordinary Dahlias. 
It is a very interesting time when they bloom, but many will 
be the disappointments, as by no means all will be “ tip- 
toppers,” but if anything of a strain good things should be forth¬ 
coming, and the best may be retained to try again another 
year. Do not, however, keep any that have some grave fault 
in hope it may be remedied another year. We have known 
a, great many seedling Dahlias develop faults when grown a 
second time that were not observed in the seedling, but we 
have never known a. fault in the seedling disappear later, but 
it always becomes aggravated, rather than otherwise,' so discard 
all those not up to F.C.C. standard,'and then no bad ones will 
be left. This is not what we meant to write, but it slipped 
out; no, we mean discard those of bad habit, weak centre, poor 
colours and so on, and then some really good things should 
remain worth growing in other years. P. P. 
Apple Tree Diseased. —Messrs. Pearson and Sons sent a 
specimen received from Africa. Mr. Massee undertook to report 
upon it. 
comparabilis. Award of Merit, Miss II. Spurred, II an worth, 
Norfolk. 
Tulip la Reve. 
The flowers of this bedding Tulip are of large size and rosy- 
salmon, shaded with buff, the colours blending with one another 
in a complicated and pleasing way. The base of the flowers 
is yellow. Award of Merit, Messrs. William Cutbush and Son, 
Highgate, N. 
Tulipa Hageri nitens. 
The typical T. Hageri lias flowers about 2 in. long, and, in 
the closed state, elliptical. They are also' of a light scarlet, 
with a black blotch at the base of each segment, and the back 
of the three -outer ones is testaceous. The variety nitens is 
a much smaller flower, being only H in. long, and is top¬ 
shaped. The general features of the flower are, similar to those 
of the type, but the inner segments are of broader and greater 
substance, and bright scarlet in .^colour, the, surface-Jiging 
glossy and sinning. When fully expanded under the influence 
of sunshine it does not suggest a Tulip to the casual observer, 
and has certainly amiovel and interesting appearance. Award 
of Merit-, Messrs, II, Wallace and Co., Kilnfield Gardens. Col¬ 
chester., 
Ficus pandurata. 
The genus Ficus is a very large one, and the species mostly 
belong to the warmer countries. With one exception, all-, of 
