June 20, 1903. 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
645 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 
The Editor invites enquiries for reply in this column. These 
enquiries may cover any branch of gardening. Questions should be 
put as briefly as possible, and written on one side of the paper only ; 
a separate sheet oj paper should be used for each question. 
Readers are also invited to give their fellow gardeners the benefit 
oj their experience by sending supplementary replies. 
Replies cannot be sent by post, even if a stamped, addressed 
envelope is enclosed, and the return of specimens cannot be undertaken. 
Anonymous communications are treated in the usual editorial manner. 
Address letters: The Editor, ‘‘The Gardening World,” 37 and 
38, Shoe Lane, London, E.C. 
Unseated Greenhouse, (Edwin Hetherington.) 
The Marechal Niel Rose, being hardy in most parts of the 
country, can be grown in an unheated greenhouse much more 
successfully indeed than in the open air, as it requires a little 
protection to develop the flowers and give them their proper 
colour. If you have a love for Roses the whole house could be 
devoted to them. Tall ones or climbers, such as Tea Roses, 
could be grown on the two sides of the roof, while dwarfer 
plants in pots could be grown upon the benches. Of course, 
you must understand that the Roses trained over the roof must 
not be allowed to shade those in pots too heavily. The lower 
part of the stems of the climbers will, of course, be leafless by 
the second year or so, and this will allow light for the benches, 
besides which the upright glass sides would also allow a fail- 
amount of light to dwarf subjects upon raised benches such as 
we described last week. If you decide to have Tomatos in the 
house, you must arrange them so that they will get all the 
light possible. For instance, we should not grow Tomatos 
under Roses nor Roses under Tomatos. Most of the hardy 
fruits you can cultivate in such a house, but in view of the 
tenancy being a short one you would be unable to reap the 
benefit of planting fruit trees of any kind. You could, however, 
grow such things as Apples, Pears, Plums, Cherries, Peaches, 
or Nectarines in pots, and, if skilful, the return would well 
reward you. During winter and early spring in the way of 
flowers you could have Crocuses in variety, and the same with 
Daffodils, Tulips, and Hyacinths, which would require no pro¬ 
tection whatever, but would come into bloom before those in 
the open air could possibly do so. Most of the popular winter 
flowering and soft-wooded subjects grown at the present day 
require a certain amount of heat to keep out frost, otherwise 
we should have recommended them to your attention. There is 
a large number of hardy and half hardy herbaceous and alpine 
plants, as well as bulbs, coming under the same heading that 
would keep up a display for many months in the year. Hard- 
wooded subjects, such as hardy and half hardy trees and shrubs, 
could also be cultivated and turned to useful account if given 
a fair amount of attention. We are remitting to you the copies 
you desire, so that in the way of harcl-wooded plants we need 
not further advise you. The bulbs mentioned are certainly 
worthy of your attention. You might well go in for a collection 
of Ferns, which might be native or exotic, or consisting partly 
of both. Whichever you undertake, we should advise you not 
to get too great a mixture of plants requiring different treatment. 
For instance, Ferns would go well together even if of different 
kinds. Roses might be looked upon in the same way, and like¬ 
wise bulbs as a class, and if you go in for Tomatos we should 
devote the whole house to them, or at least not grow Tomatos 
under any other class of plants. The two copies we send, 
together with postage, will be 5d. 
Watercress Without Water. (A. D. R.) 
You could easily get a supply of this by preparing some 
ground beside a north -aspect wall, or, what is better, you could 
make up a bed for them in a cold frame facing the north, so that 
shade might or might not be necessary according to the character 
of the summer. If the weather much resembles this during 
the remaining portion of summer you could grow good Water¬ 
cress almost in any part of the garden. Though it lives and 
gives most satisfaction, as a rule, in running water, yet tender 
Cress may be obtained by either of the above methods we men¬ 
tion, even in a dry summer. You could -help the soil greatly 
by mixing with it a liberal quantity of leaf mould, and even 
some well-decayed farmyard manure would be advantageous. 
It is not so much the nourishment that these things supply as 
that they retain the moisture in the soil and enable the Cress 
to make crisp growth even during dry weather. When you have 
prepared the soil sow seeds and keep the ground shaded until 
the seedlings come up, when they must have light and air to 
prevent them from getting over-drawn. In the cold frame men¬ 
tioned it may be necessary to shade during the hottest parts of 
the day, but even when shaded it would be advisable to tilt up 
the sash along one side, so as to give the plants plenty of air. 
Arabis albida fl. pi. Flowering for Two Months. (M. D.) 
The above double variety seems to commence flowering a little 
later than the ordinary single form, but after it commences to 
bloom it proves very continuous if the weather is at all favour¬ 
able. Your plants, therefore, show nothing abnormal. Should 
the autumn be moderately warm and moist the plants will 
commence growing again, and possibly- bloom a second time. 
We have seen the second flowering make a very respectable dis¬ 
play indeed. 
How to Grow Saxifraga Cotyledon pyramidalis. (Horsham.) 
The principal point to observe in the cultivation of this variety 
with the object of getting large spikes of bloom is to keep the 
suckers removed, leaving nothing but the principal crown in 
each pot. You could commence by getting a quantity if 
rosettes or crowns, and potting them up singly in pots suitable 
to their size. They could be kept in cold frames all the year 
round, unless you wish to hasten them into bloom earlier by 
placing them in a greenhouse with a gentle fire heat. The plant 
being perfectly hardy, you could keep it in better health in a 
frame at all other periods of the year. If the plants require 
a shift during the summer time, pot them into a size slightly 
larger, always remembering that they do not require much 
space, as their roots can be kept within very moderate limits. 
They can be flowered freely in 48 or 32 size pots, even when the 
leaves are so large that they entirely cover the surface of the 
soil in such pots. Give them full exposure to light, even leaving 
the sash entirely off during fine weather till the end of Septem¬ 
ber. Only put on the lights when the rain is heavy and con¬ 
tinuous. Part of the culture will consist in removing any 
suckers or young rosettes which may present themselves. These 
might be potted separately, and grown on as young stock. In 
the matter of compost, you may use two parts fibrous loam, with 
a third of leaf mould and sand. Always make sure that the 
drainage is good, so that superfluous moisture will pass freely 
away. 
Basket Plants for a Sunny Porch. (T. Sydney. 
For suspending at the sides of the porch and close to the 
glass, so that the plants may be well lighted, you may use such 
as Campanula isophylla ; also its white variety. Less showy, 
perhaps, but still useful, are C. Barrelieri, C. garganica, and 
the garden form known as C. Mayi. Ivy-leaved Pelargoniums 
also succeed well when given plenty of light and air, and hang 
down gracefully without any particular attention. The single 
Petunias are both showy and available for this kind of work 
Double varieties require more sun and air to make them flower 
freely. At first sight Convolvulus mauritanicus resembles a 
Campanula, with drooping stems and light blue flowers, but it 
is altogether a distinct subject. Saxifraga sarmentosa is a com¬ 
mon window-plant that would answer the purpose admirably, 
because although the flowers would only endure for a relatively 
short period, the numerous runners <rive the plant a light and 
graceful appearance. Fuchsias, if well managed, produce a 
wealth of blossom, and if those of drooping habit were selected, 
they would suit the position admirably. 
Hybrid Aquilegias. (G. David.) 
Considering that the season is now somewhat advanced, it 
would be as well perhaps to sow the seeds in a frame or hand- 
light according to the quantity you wish to grow. It might even 
suit your purpose to sow in boxes, standing the same in a cold 
frame. Keep the lights close until germination takes place, 
after which you must give plenty of air to keep the plants dwarf 
and sturdy. It would be as well to transplant them into a 
piece of prepared soil out of doors as soon as they have made two 
or three rough leaves. Your object should be to- get them as 
strong as possible before growth ceases in the autumn, because 
the plants would have stronger crowns, and be able to flower 
better next spring. If you had sown -the seeds in April the 
plants would have had ample time'fo get strong before autumn, 
and would have-flowei’ed better next sping than plants sown now. 
Taking Cuttings of Tuberous Begonias. (W. Anderson ) 
You can take cuttings of tuberous Begonias almost at any 
time when you can get them, up to the middle of September. 
Those taken early and those taken late would probably require 
a little heat to encourage the formation of roots. From now 
