442 
THE GARDENING WORLD . 
May 23, 1903. 
Readers' Competition—continued. 
labelled according to colour, if thought desirable to plant them 
according to colour in their permanent beds the following year. 
Many gardeners practise fertilising and saving their own seed 
by crossing varieties grown in the greenhouse. By this system 
of crossing, saving, planting, and labelling, many good selec¬ 
tions can be made for outdoor and indoor culture, and by 
raising stocks annually, suitable sized tubers can easily be 
chosen for the beds prepared for them. It is good practice to 
plant the largest and strongest-growing ones in the centre or 
prominent parts of the group or bed, and the smallest near the 
edge. 
Plenty of water during the period of growth is essential to the 
well-being of the plants, and occasional doses of weak liquid 
manure are beneficial in promoting a sturdy growth ; but too 
frequent applications must not be given, or rank growth, which 
would not be compatible with the appearance of a well-kept 
flower-bed, would be the result. J. C. Gillies. 
R. G., W. 
Alpine Plants from Seed, 
Amongst the small perennials generally known under the 
above name, a goodly number can be profitably raised from 
seed. Seedlings are usually more vigorous than plants obtained 
by division or from cuttings. This is readily accounted for 
when it is remembered that with the germination of the seed 
commences a new life, but the rooting of a cutting, while pro¬ 
ducing a separate plant, is perhaps merely prolonging an exist¬ 
ence already one hundred years old. A result of this increased 
vigour is that the roots of a seedling penetrate deeper and 
farther, thus obtaining nutriment which is out of the reach of the 
feebler plant. 
Some plants are more readily increased by seed than in any 
other way, if care be taken to fertilise the flowers. Another 
advantage is the infinite variation of shades of colour in a bed 
of seedlings, and the interest in watching the flowers open. 
Of course, some may have to be discarded, but there is always 
the chance of an advance, either in habit or colour. This chance 
is much increased if the parents have been carefully hybridised. 
In most cases the best time to sow the seed is as soon as it 
is ripe, the only exception being when it ripens so late that rhe 
resulting plants have not sufficient time to establish themselves 
before winter. Where seeds have to be kept, or are purchased 
in the spring, they should be sown as early as possible ; March, 
April, and May are, as a rule, the most suitable months. 
A cold frame behind a north wall is the best place in which 
to rear the more difficult subjects. This should be prepared by 
being thoroughly cleansed ; the bottom should be well dressed 
with caustic lime, making short work of slugs and their eggs; 
ver this put a good coat of ashes from the stokehole. If a frame 
is not obtainable, the boxes may be stood on a bed preiiared as 
above, each box being covered with a separate piece of glass. 
Other hardier and more yigorous kinds may be sown on prepared 
beds behind a north wall or hedge. As in many cases they ger¬ 
minate slowly, special care must be taken that the seeds are 
not disturbed by worms, etc., or smothered beneath a coating 
of algae or moss. 
A mixture, consisting of one-third loam, one-third leaf mould, 
and a sixth each of sand and burnt earth, well mixed, will 
form a suitable compost. It is a good plan to dry the loam 
and leaf mould to be used in thin layers on the top of the 
boiler; if peat is required, it can easily be scalded. A good 
supply of burnt earth can be obtained by burning a few barrow¬ 
loads of clay amongst the winter prunings, etc. 
When sowing in boxes or pans use plenty of drainage ; make 
the surface level, sow thinly, then press the seed gently into 
the soil with some hard, smooth surface, afterwards covering 
the seed with as much sifted burnt earth as will equal its own 
depth. If the wall or hedge is sufficiently high, shading will 
not be required ; avoid drying influences, ventilate sparingly ; 
the less the water-can is used the better, provided a moderately 
moist state of the soil can be maintained without it. 
Some seeds germinate much sooner than others ; it will there¬ 
fore be necessary to transfer to another frame in the same 
position as the first, in which they can be afforded an increase 
of air and water. Frames with two lights can be divided with 
boards to serve the same purpose. 
Transplantation must take place at a very early stage, in 
some cases before they can be handled. After loosening the 
seedlings, use a small stick with a divided flat point to place 
them on the new soil, afterwards pressing them gently into it 
with the forefinger. Water carefully with a very fine rose ; 
keep closer for a few days, gradually increasing the quantity 
of air, until they are fit to be placed outside on a bed of ashes. 
The best time for planting them in their permanent quarters 
is either October or March. J. C. 
Decorative Brugmansias. 
At the present time, when the majority of the occupants of 
the stove or greenhouse are valued only as far as they can be 
utilised for the purpose of house decoration, a considerable 
amount of forethought is necessary in the selection of such sub¬ 
jects as shall always be appreciated, particularly when, as in 
my case, the display has to be maintained for about ten months 
in the year. Perhaps, after some very fine Campanula pyra 
midalis (some with thirty spikes) which we used last year in 
the mansion, nothing called forth so much admiration as some 
young plants of Brugmansia (Datura) suaveolens. The name 
Brugmansia, I am well aware, frequently recalls to mind some 
old ungainly specimen, not very clean or healthy, in a large pot 
or tub in some obscure corner of the conservatory, but in our 
case the cuttings were taken in April and the plants flowered 
in September. As we intend to follow up the idea annually, 
I will endeavour briefly to give our methods of procedure. Early 
in March one or two plants which have been retained for the 
production of cuttings are placed in heat, well watered, and 
syringed to produce activity. When of a convenient length, the 
shoots may be taken off after the manner of Fuchsia cuttings, 
inserting in sandy soil, and placing them in a close moist frame, 
in which they will soon become rooted, after which they must 
be potted into 3-in. pots and kept in a nice moist growing tem¬ 
perature. These small pots will, of course, soon be filled with 
roots, when they must be at once transferred to pots 5 in. in 
diameter, pushing the plants on as rapidly as possible. 
For the first potting a compost of a fairly light character will 
be advisable, consisting of a good proportion of leaf-soil with a 
little peat, loam, and sand. At the next pot-ting (5-in. pots) more 
loam and less leaf soil will be advisable. For the final potting, 
pots of about 8 in. in diameter will be large enough, using a 
compost consisting of two parts loam and one of leaf soil, with 
a little sand and lime rubble to ensure porosity, adding a 6-in. 
pot full of fine bone-meal to each bushel oi compost. In pot¬ 
ting, make the soil as firm as possible, to assist the plant in 
making short-jointed floriferous growth. About the second week 
in June the plants may be stood outside in a sunny, sheltered 
position. Careful attention must be paid to their being well 
watered, frequent applications of manure-water being beneficial. 
On bright days the syringe must be freely used amongst the 
foliage, to keep it clean and healthy. Disbud the lower part of 
the stem, to induce the plant to form a good head. As the 
plants show flower they should be removed to a well-ventilated 
house, where they may be pushed on or retarded according to 
requirements. By propagating two sets of plants, the one two 
or three weeks in advance of the other, a longer display of them 
can, of course, be kept up. One great advantage with the 
Brugmansia is that, instead of having to subject it to a course 
of hospital treatment on its return from the dwelling-house, the 
plants may be thrown away, retaining one or two for stock, 
from which water must gradually be withheld, the head pruned 
in, after which they should be laid on their sides under a stage 
secure from damp or frost, where they may stay the winter, to: 
be introduced into warmth early the following year, to furnish 
a supply of cuttinss when desired. 
Brugmansia suaveolens is a native of Mexico and Peru. The 
flowers are pendent, large, pure white, and very fragrant. 
B. Kniglitii is similar in habit and colour, only that the flowers 
are double. I enclose for the Editor’s inspection a photograph 
of a plant, so that he may form some idea of its utility for the 
purpose specified, the plant being a rootless cutting five months 
prior to the photograph being taken. W. H. W. 
rThere were eleven expanded flowers and several buds in 
view, making a good specimen for its age.- En.] 
* Jt * The prize last week in the Readers’ Competition was 
awarded to “ J. C.” for his article on “ Hybrid Water 
lilies,” page 432. 
