G34 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
July-25, 1 f03 
tying, which must be done firmly and evenly, so as to exclude 
air, giving the bud space to push up when united. It is best 
not to cut back the stock until autumn, but any growth below 
where the bud was inserted should be kept rubbed off. I ought 
to have stated earlier in these notes that buds succeed best 
when inserted on shoots of the same year’s growth, .as bud and 
stock are then of uniform strength. James Mayne. 
Bicton, Devonshire. 
The Stove and Greenhouse. 
Mignonette. -^—Well-grown plants of the fragrant Mignonette 
are always appreciated in the winter, and the present is a good 
time to sow the seed to ensure having the plants in flower 
before Christmas. The compost is of some importance for this 
batch, as they will remain in it for some time. One consisting 
of two parts loam to one each of leaf soil and decayed manure, 
with some mortar rubble and sharp sand added, answers ad¬ 
mirably. Three-inch pots are best, and the seed should be 
sown very thinly on an even surface. When nicely , up, thin 
out to five of the strongest,, and grow on in a cold frame. When 
the. pots are tilled with roots shift.on into 6-in. pots, in which 
they may be.flowered. At this final shift.it is good practice 
to add a sprinkling of Clay’s fertiliser to the compost. Stake 
the plants before they fall about, and encourage free growth in 
cool, airy quarters, in order to build up sturdy plants by the 
month of September, when they must be housed. 
Freesias. —Where these sweet-scented flowers are required 
early a batch of large, well-matured bulbs should now be potted 
up, using a light, rich soil. Early blossoms cannot be ex¬ 
pected unless-the bulbs be the very best procurable, and be 
potted up early. The bulbs, are usually placed into the pots 
they are to flower in—viz., 5 in.—and six or eight, bulbs should 
be placed in each. When potted afford a. watering; and put 
in a cold frame and keep shaded and close for a few days to 
induce them- to make an early start. I have known instances 
where they have been covered with ashes in the same way as 
is practised with Hyacinths; this should not be done-. 
Roman Hyacinths.— The earliest batch of these may be 
potted up in a similar manner to that advised for Freesias, 
with the exception of placing only three or five bulbs in a 
5-in. pot. Water in and cover with 2 in. of coal-ashes or cocoa- 
fibre refuse in the open. Examine every few days, and. when 
top growth commences to push forth they are ready for bring¬ 
ing to the light, either in a cold frame or the greenhouse. 
Browalliadata. —Seed of this handsome greenhouse annual 
should now be sown for raising plants for flowering in the en¬ 
suing winter. Sow thinly in a pan of any light, sandy soil, 
and when large enough to handle prick off into other pans or 
pots until they attain 2 in. or 3 in. high ; then pot off singly 
into 3-in. pots, and grow on gently in .a frame or on a shelf 
in the greenhouse. Pinch out the points of the shoots as 
growth proceeds to make them bushy, and, when ready, shift 
°n mto 5-in. or 6-in. pots. Occasional applications of liquid 
manure will be highly beneficial when these pots become filled 
with roots, and it should be continued until flowering com¬ 
mences. 
Hoya carnosa. —This old-fashioned twining plant is well 
worthy of a place in the greenhouse or conservatory, for it is 
easily grown and flowered in such structures. The flesh- 
coloured flowers are borne in umbels, and are waxy fn appear¬ 
ance ; hence the plant, is known in the vernacular as the wax 
flower. A common mistake made is to cut the flowers in the 
bunch ; each flower should be gathered separately, as others 
are produced on the same bunch for a long period. ' By cutting 
the whole bunch one destroys scores of blossoms in embryo" 
le compost I recommend for the plants consists of equal parts 
loam, leaf soil, mortar rubble, charcoal and sand. Use in a 
very rough state, and always avoid over-watering the plants. 
K. m’. 
The Best Flowering Plants at Kew. 
“ There are more plants in the garden than ye wot of.” 
Escallonia phillipiana. 
Of the' thirty odd species known botanioallv, this, for general 
purposes, is the most desirable. Though in point of colour 
and size of flower it is not on a par with E. macrantha, yet its 
hardier constitution and prolificness of flower compensate for 
any disadvantage it otherwise might have. The flowers, which 
are laterally and terminally produced, are so numerous that the 
small green leaves are nearly hidden from view. Native of 
Valdivia. 
Clethra arborea. 
A handsome, spreading tree of the Erieaeae family, which, 
given suitable accommodation, as: that of a. large conservatory, 
forms a, handsome plant, especially when bearing its long, 
branching inflorescences of white flowers, resembling Lily of 
the Valley. Properly treated, it can be flowered as a com¬ 
paratively small pot plant, if it is allowed to become pot- 
bound. Grown as standards (with a stem 5 ft. to 7 ft. high, 
and a round head) in tubs, it forms an, effective plant for setting 
out in verandahs or balustrades, etc. during summer. Native 
of Madeira. 
Rodgersia pinnata. 
This handsome plant, which flowered last year in a moist 
recess of the rock garden for the first time under cultivation, is 
proving a, desirable adjunct to this class of plants^ The genus, 
which contains four species, is closely allied to Astilbe, from 
which it differs in possessing digitate or (quasidigitate in this 
species:) leaves, a, eymose inflorescence, and the absence of 
bracteoles and petals. This robust plant has reddish, fragrant 
flowers, the sepailsi being nearly white, produced in a eymose 
panicle. The leaves, as stated, are quasidigitate; that is, pass¬ 
ing from digitate to pinnate. It is a, native of the Mountains 
of Yunnan, where seeds were- collected and sent to Kew by Dr. 
Henry. 
Crinum Powellih 
A hybrid of gaiden origin derived from C. longifolium x 
Moorei, forming a, hand-some, nearly hardy plant. It is at 
present flowering in the open air in a, border contiguous to 
the Palm house. Being of easy culture in large pots, it 
forms; desirable specimens for the c-ool conservatory. Its 
large bulb produces about twenty recurving leaves nearly 4 ft. 
long, and stout- scapes terminated by eight to twelve-flowered 
umbels of large flowers, about 6 in. long. In the type they are 
reddish, whilst its variety, alba, has nearly white flowers. 
Meconopsis Wallichi. 
This handsome species, associated with M. nepalensis, forms, 
in a moist recess, the most striking object in the rock garden. 
On account of its clear pale blue flowers, this species is possibly 
tliH most attractive, hut both are equally handsome, forming 
single-stemmed plants, about 4 ft. high. In general appear¬ 
ance, nepalensis: differs from this by its more cone-shaped 
raceme, due to- the elongation of the peduncles of its lowermost- 
flowers, which are chocolate or chestnut-brown in colour. 
Lilium monadelphum var. szovitzianunx. 
This early flowering pale yellow Lily is a desirable form for 
growing in beds composed of peaty soil, giving a, tinge of 
colour to beds of Ericas, dwarf Rhododendrons:, etc. It belongs 
to the Martagon section of the' genus, which is characterised 
by its cernuous perianth and much revolute segments. It 
attains a, Height of 3 ft. to 5 ft., terminating in a raceme of 
flowers, each about, 3 in. long, having a claret-red tinge at the 
base. This variety differs from the type by having its fila¬ 
ments free to the base, and by its darker pollen. 
Linum perenne. 
Seeds sown; in autumn of this plant, and kept after pricking 
oft, m nursery lines during winter planting in their permanent 
quarters in, spring, form graceful plants which bear profusely 
distinct flowers: of an attractive blue colour, which render the 
p ant a conspicuous object, especially when associated with her¬ 
baceous plants. Native* of Europe. 
