July 25, 1?03. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
643 
READERS’ COMPETITION. 
For details of this competition and prize offered, please 
see pace 639. Please post on Friday night. 
Double German Wallflower. 
To those whe have never tried a few Wallflower in pots I would 
strongly advise them to give them a trial, as they are so easily 
cultivaied, and well repay the little trouble that is needed to 
get a batch of fine useful plants, which come in most useful 
either for greenhouse, conservatory, or house decoration, and 
lend quite a variety of colour to our early spring show of flowers. 
We generally sow the seed outside about the middle of June, or 
early in July, and when the plants are large enough to handle 
transplant into nursery beds, which have been previously well 
manured with, well-decayed manure, laying in the plants about 
eight inches apart and fourteen inches between the lines. Little 
else is required except a run through with the hoe until the plants 
are ready for potting in September. Six and seven inch pots are 
generally used, and the plants are lifted with as large balls as 
is found convenient to get nicely into the pots. Stand the 
plants after potting for a week or ten days in a cool, shaded 
frame, and give a slight dew over morning and evening. When 
the plants have recovered from the shift they can be grown as 
hardy as possible to prevent them getting softened. Little at¬ 
tention is required further than to see that they are not allowe 1 
to suffer for want of water. A cool Peacli house or cold frame wi 11 
winter the plants nicely so long as they are not allowed to get 
frosted. After the turn of the day the plants can be drafted 
into a Peach house or vinery that is closed up for starting, but 
they should not be allowed to remain after the temperature has 
been increased over 60 degs., but should be drafted into another 
house, where the temperature does not exceed that figure. 
When they start into growth, and the spike begins to appear, 
weak manure water should be given once or twice a week ; sheep 
manure and soot soaked in water I find very beneficial. When 
once they begin to show colour they should 'be brought into the 
greenhouse, where they will be quite at home, and for useful 
flowering plants come in very handy, and for house decoration, 
etc,, they are, as a rule, much admired, and are general 
favourites, especially the double yellows, orange, and dark 
varieties, A. H. 
Choice Bulbs for Sheltered Positions. 
How rarely does one come in contact with a bed of such choice 
bulbs as Calochortus and Tigridias, and many others, whose ex¬ 
quisite blooms, with their delicate tints and brilliancy, are 
scarcely excelled by any other summer flowers. 
Calochortus (Mariposa Lily).—To grow these beautiful 
bulbous plants successfully in, the open ground a sheltered posi¬ 
tion, with a southerly aspect, should be chosen. Failure often 
arises from being too wet during the winter months, rather than 
the frosts. A border slightly raised, and well drained, should 
be made up of leaf soil, loam, sand, and charcoal, well mixed 
together. Plant the bulbs in, the autumn, placing some sand 
among them ; when the foliage is dried off cover the border with 
litter or some other light material, and remove the same in 
1 March. Old frames or lights will 1 answer the purpose equally 
as well. From June until August they will be in bloom, when 
the flowers may be fertilised if seeds are required. In September 
the seed should be sown thinly in pans, and placed in a frame br 
cool greenhouse, keeping them close to the glass, or they will 
damp off. About the third year, or when the flowering stage 
r is reached, they may be planted out, or grown in, pots, 
placing seven or eight bulbs in a 48. The Calochortus makes 
a charming pot plant, and is one of easy culture ; it also 1 lasts for 
a considerable period when cut for table and room decoration, 
and is sure to be admired by all. The best method to increase this 
plant is by off-sets, which must be removed when in a dormant 
state. They require the same treatment as seedlings, and during 
active growth should be given plenty of moisture at the roots. 
Both the Calochortus and Tigridias should be grown wherever the 
I conditions are favourable. Clumps and masses should be planted 
in sheltered spots and along the flower borders, where a grand 
effect may be produced by mixing their various colours. All the 
species and varieties are worthy of wider recognition, but the fol¬ 
lowing are especially recommended :—C. venustus, C. citrinus, 
C. clavatus, C. alb us, C. lilacinus, etc. 
Tigridias (Tiger Flower) are among the showiest of our garden 
plants ; the life of each individual flower is short, but no sooner 
! has one disappeared than another is ready to replace it, so a suc¬ 
cession* of magnificent and gorgeous blooms is kept up from July 
until September. The cultural notes are much the same as for 
Calochortus. Seeds should be sown in spring on a slight hot 
bed, and grown on in frames, until the flowering stage is 
reached ; off-sets may be taken off in March. Tigridias like a 
mixture of sandy loam and leaf soil. When the leaves are dried 
off lift the bulbs, and store in a cool, dry, and airy place, cover¬ 
ing the roots with sand or peat until the planting time comes 
round in March or April, choosing a well drained and warm 
sunny aspect, placing them in rows 1 ft. asunder, and 6 in. from 
bulb to bulb. T. Pavonia and its varieties, grandiflora and 
immaculata alba, may be termed the ‘ facile princeps ” of this 
handsome genus. 
Amaryllis Belladonna will succeed at the base of a south 
wall, if planted 6 in. or 9 in. deep, with a portion of sand placed 
round the bulbs. The best time to plant the Belladonna Lily is 
in September, and when established there will be no need to 
remove them for at least four or five years. Give plenty of water 
during the growing season if the weather is dry. 
A few Crinums will thrive in the open grounds, if planted a 
foot deep in rich soil, with plenty of drainage. Propagation is 
effected by off-sets, which should be grown on in. a cool green¬ 
house until large enough to take care of themselves outside. C. 
Moorei, C. Powellii, and C. capense are well adapted for open- 
air culture. 
Schizostylis coccinea produces handsome spikes of bright 
flowers, which retain their beauty for a long time. They like a 
sandy loam and leaf soil, and should be planted in the spring. 
The chief points to be observed are perfect drainage and a slight 
covering of litter, or cold frames, ini winter. W. A. 
Mignonette in Pots. 
That you can have too much of a good thing is admitted by 
most of us. Exception must be taken with regard to Mignonette, 
however, for when the young ladies do the floral decoration of the 
house the supply hardly ever equals the demand, and “ Have you 
any Mignonette ? ” is almost as familiar as the cry of the cook 
for Parsley. To have good stuff, then, and plenty of it, is 
essential if you are to be on good terms with the ladies, and the 
first necessary item is to procure seed of a reliable strain. 
Sutton’s Maehet and Miles’ Spiral are two excellent varieties for 
pot work. No doubt there are others as good, but these have 
always given satisfaction, and, taken altogether, will be hard to 
beat. 
Some time the last week in July as many 60’s as will be re¬ 
quired should be thoroughly washed and dried. If new pots are 
to be used soak them for a night in a tank. Although these are 
only small pots, they must be well drained. Fill up to within 
half an inch of the top with a compost of sifted old potting soil, 
leaf mould and sand. With a fine rose can fill up the pots with 
water, and let them stand for an hour to drain. Then make 
three dents in the soil round the edge of each pot, about an eighth 
of an inch or so in depth, and drop four or five seeds into each 
dent, covering with sand to the surface level of the soil. Place 
the pots in cold frames on ashes, pull on the lights, and cover 
with mats until the seed has germinated. As soon as the seed¬ 
lings are large enough to handle, thin out, leaving the three 
strongest. A sharp look-out must be kept for slugs, as they 
soon play havoc if left alone. The potting on into flowering pots 
must be given as soon as possible, as the soil recommended for 
sowing, will not be good enough to keep them going for any 
length of time, and it is necessary to get them well rooted before 
the darkest period of the year. Two parts loam, half a part 
spent mushroom dung and half a part leaf mould, with plenty 
of sand and a little bone meal added, should be well mixed and 
made as fine as possible without sifting. See that the soil is not 
dry when turning out, or the plants will be spoilt, and at this 
period will be seen the necessity for clean pots. Pot fairly firm 
in 32’s, place back in the frames, give a good watering, and keep 
close for a day or two. The lights should then be taken right off 
whenever possible. 
When the weather becomes too bad take them into the vineries, 
or other structure where there is a shelf and the temperature 
not much above 40 degs. Keep the soil on the dry side, and in¬ 
troduce them into the greenhouse in batches as required) As the 
days lengthen more water will be required, or the warm sun will 
make 'them not fit. to be seen. Do not stake the plants, but 
keep them together with small pieces of brushwood. 
H. Arnold. 
*** The prize last week in the Readers’ Competition was 
awarded to “Pem,” for his article on “Perpetual Straw 
berries,” page 623. 
