December 5, 19o3. 
tHE GARDENING WORLD . 
1007 
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A great many 
Statice profusa. 
hardeners seem to ‘have a lxard and fast rule 
^ ” J. Cuili iiiuarj ---— 
of resting all plants during the winter season, and that is where 
a great mistake is made with the proper cultivation of Statice 
prolusa, as well as many other plants. 
To prove yourself successful with this plant you must keep 
it moving (I mean growing) during the season that many plants 
are resting. I do not mean to say that it must be kept giowing 
at the same rate as in. summer, but just steadily growing. 
The reason for this is because if it is stopped m its growth 
and rested it will make a poor stunted growth, and so will not 
become a useful and healthy plant of a good shape ; it will 
also be harmed a great deal if rested. (1 daresay some will 
not altogether agree with keeping them growing in the winter 
season, but if both ways are tried time will tell which is the 
right and best way.) ,. ,. 
There are few greenhouse plants more worthy of cultivation 
than the Statice, on account of its usefulness, both as a decora¬ 
tive subject and as an exhibition plant. It is very free bloom¬ 
ing its flowers last well, and it is a plant fairly easy to grow. 
It is fairly easy to propagate; spring is the best time. Take 
the shoots which are not too hard, strip off a few of the lower 
leaves, and make them by cutting below a joint ; then place 
them singly in small pots, in a mixture of equal parts of loam 
and silver sand. Then place the pots in a propagating frame 
where it is close and moderately warm, and keep them moist, 
also shaded from the hot sun, and they will very soon root. 
When rooted take them out of the frame, but keep them m 
an intermediate temperature, to keep them growing ; when 
they have got fairly started to grow give them a shift into pots 
at least two sizes larger. Pot them in a mixture of three parts 
loam and one part sand. Be sure and keep the young plants 
well syringed overhead ih summer, also keep them as near the 
cdass as possible ; if on a shelf all the better, as it will induce 
a strong and sturdy growth. A temperature of 45 deg. to 50 deg. 
will be most suitable for them during the winter season. Cease 
to syringe them overhead in winter. . , 
The principal blooming season of most of the Statices is from 
spring to autumn, hut Statice profusa may be had m bloom 
practically the whole of the year, more ©specially so when the 
plant has attained a good size- , 
The blooms should not be allowed to get too wet or damp, for 
if kept dry they will last a considerable time. 
The plants do not care to be fully exposed to the sun as the 
leaves are very leathery, and soon will turn brown and sickly- 
looking if too much exposed to the hot sun. 
In the following spring the young plants will be ready tor a 
shift into 6-in. pots, but do not use very much sand with the 
loam this time. After potting, keep them m a genial green¬ 
house temperature and syringe them overhead, and also keep 
the material the pots are stood on well clamped down, as they 
are very subject to attacks of red spider. 
When potting Statices always give a good sound drainage, 
as they are plants which like a liberal supply of water. 
When the plaints have attained a nice size, and the shoots 
have lengthened a bit, they may with advantage be staked out 
a bit by placing a few short stakes towards the edge of the po-s 
and tying the shoots down to them. Do not try to stake any 
short shoots down, as they are very apt to break oft. 
A little support by the way of diluted manure water may now 
be given, which will be very beneficial to them ; it should t 
applied only occasionally during the summer season.. 
Keep on giving the plants a shift on into larger pots as they 
rGQuiro it 
When they have attained specimen size, and are well grown 
and healthy, they are plants which are much admired, and are 
also a beautiful sight when in full bloom. Trusting I have not 
encroached on the valuable space of your admirable paper, 
“ .Tapoxica. 
How to Utilise a North Border. 
good many gardens I have visited 
are 
In a good many gardens i nave visneu Rasps 
about the only thing found on these borders with a north aspect. 
While it is quite true that Rasps do fairly well m such 
a situation, it may not be out of place to point out that many 
other plants may be profitably grown m this position. On the 
wall itself Morello Cherries or Red Currants do admirably— in 
fact, on light, dry soil, it will be found that the Red Currants 
on a north' wall are by far the finest it is possible to grow. On 
the border Black Currants thrive and fiuit splendidly, as also 
will some varieties of Gooseberries. 
The drawback in. regard to bush fruits on the border is that to 
a certain extent they spoil the wail fruit, keeping out light and 
air. On light soils I have seen very fine late Strawberries grown 
on a narrow north border, but the crops, of course, are light 
compared to those in a sunny position. 
Vegetables do not, as a rule, succeed on this border, with, 
perhaps, the solitary exception of curled Greens- 
It may be news to many to! be told that a great many flowers 
succeed well on a north border. I have at present a. good bed 
of that beautiful Poppy, Rapaver pilosum, which in its season 
is a line sight growing on a north border. Sweet William, too, 
does well, and keeps in condition a long time. In many places 
where Violas do not succeed I am convinced they would do 
well in this situation. Only this summer I had a large bed of 
seedlings that were literally covered with bloom. Alpine 
Auriculas do better on a north border, perhaps, than anywhere 
else. Early [Chrysanthemums I have also had fine in the same 
position. Among other flowers worth growing on a north aspect 
are Violets, Spiraea japonica, and Lily of the Valley. 
Many others could be mentioned that do fairly well, bait 1 
think it best to stick to those things that I have myself seen 
doiiio- well. In preparing the ground do not make it too rich, 
or growth will be soft. Unless on very light soil, stable manure 
will be the best to use, as it enriches without making the ground 
too retentive, as would be the case with cow-dung. Slugs have 
a great liking for a shady north border, so a sharp look-out 
would require to be kept after planting such tilings as Violas. 
Preston, Linlithgow. Blair. 
On Digging. 
The season is now at hand when all digging and trenching 
operations should be begun, so as to have the ground ready lor 
the planting or sowing of the early crops next year. 
Digging being a very important work in gardening operations, 
I thought a few"words on the best way of doing it might be useful 
to many of the readers of The Gardening IVorld. 
I have been a gardener upwards of forty years, and have 
worked in various gardens about the country, and yet, strange 
to say, I have met with but few men who knew liow to dig well. 
I may be called to order for the above remark, but that I do 
not mind, as I shall take it in good part. 
To commence, if your plot of ground is 25ft. or 30ft, wide, lay 
a line down tlie centre, and cut a mark with a spade fiom end 
to end. Now cut the weeds off the entire width of the plot, 
and throw them towards the middle. This being done, take 
out a trench 18in. or 20in. wide, putting this on the other side 
for filling the last trench in with. If you are manuring the plot, 
spread some manure (short is the best) over the end you finish at 
before placing tlie soil taken out from the opening trench, then 
your plot of ground will be manured all over alike. 
Provide yourself now with a new or nearly new spade, and 
commence the digging by taking very small spits to the full 
length of the spade, pressing it down straight—not slanting, as I 
have seen many do. Ground dug in the latter way is not dug 
half so deep as in the former. Always keep your trench straight; 
by so doing your dug ground will be kept more even and level. 
Some people leave the spits just as they turn them over, but I 
say never do this, especially in heavy soils; break them up well 
below the depth of 3in. from the top, for if this is not- done now 
it is not an easy matter to break them afterwards, and often the 
frost is not sharp enough to do it, then the result is your crops 
have nothing but hard clots to root in—a thing by no means 
favourable to a good growth. . .. 
Tlie top 3in. may be left rough, and even in this case small 
knobs are best, as the frost will more quickly break them than 
large ones; besides, small knobs get dried through much quicker 
and thus bring the soil into a fine condition in a shorter space of 
time, which is a great advantage to the gardener, particularly m 
the sprino-, when seeds have to be sown almost as soon as the 
0 -round is dug. My advice to all those who dig ground after the 
1st of March is to break the soil up as fine as you can, especially 
heavy soils, as it is easier to break then than when exposed to 
the sun and drying winds for a few days. 
Always keep a good wide trench, not less than 18m., as hy this 
the work is performed with much greater ease to the operator, 
and every spit can he taken up freely without having to heave it 
