THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 16, 1904. 
48 
will suit the plants at this tune, and when the young shoots 
attain 2 in. in length take them oft', with a heel of the old 
wo'od and'insert in pots of light sandy soil, and plunge in the 
propagating bed. When well rooted pot off singly into 2g-in. 
pots and grow on freely near the roof-glass in the stove or pit 
Shift on as the roots fill the pots, until they are finally placed 
in 32’®. A compost of two parts leaf soil to one each of decayed 
manure and fibrous loam, with a free admixture of sharp 
sand and small nodules of charcoal, will suit the plants well. 
Myrsdphyllum asparagoddes.—In gardens where elaborate 
table and other decorations are carried out, this unique trail¬ 
ing plant is indispensable, and should be grown in quantity. 
Although it is known in the vernacular as Smilax, it is totally 
different in character from that genus. For clothing a bare 
back wall of the stove or temperate house, I know of nothing 
better suited in every way than this. Seed should be sown 
at once, as the plants require a long season of growth before 
they commence to throw up trailing growths. Although the 
plant is a perennial, I prefer to treat it as an annual, for I 
find that trails suited for any purpose can be produced much 
quicker from young, vigorous plants than from those that 
have produced growths in preceding years-, and, apart from 
this, the growths are lighter and altogether better 1 adapted for 
decoration than those from old plants. If an unbroken supply 
is required throughout the year, there should be two or three 
distinct batches -of plants raised from seed sown at intervals 
of about six or eight weeks. Sow thinly in pans nearly filled 
with -rich sandy soil, and plunge in a gentle bottom beat. 
When the seedlings attain about 2 in. in height, pot off into 
thumb pots, t-woi plants in each, and place o-n a -shelf in a genial 
temperature of about 60 deg. Shift o-n as required into large 
60’s, and finally repot into 32’s, in which t-hey may remain 
throughout, o-r the plants may be grown on in 60’s, then put 
o-ut into prepared boxes 12 in. deep and 9 in. wide. 
I prefer the pot system of culture, as the roots are more 
under control, and the -soil is not liable to become- sour before 
the plant® become established, as it. sometimes does in boxes. 
Another advantage is that the trails -grow neater, a-nd t-h-e food 
applied durin-g active growth in the foam of liquid manure, or 
an approved fertiliser, -is better assimilated. When the plants 
are shifted into 32’s, place them in position, such as o-n a 
stage or low wall in -any temperate house. Stretch a wife 
along the top of the pots, on which to 'affix the upright strings, 
a-nd another 4 ft. or 5 ft. above, according to the length it is re¬ 
quired the trail® .should reach ; then place thin green twine 
at intervals of 3 in. along the who-le length, a-nd start the 
strongest trails up them. No more than two- -should be- allowed 
to each string, o-r the resulting trails' would be too dens-e for 
m-o-st decorative purposes. K. M. 
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 
The Propagation of Potatos, 
To the Editor of The Gardening World. 
Sir, —Since sending you an article on the above 1 , I have read 
“A. D.’s” remarks on the subject in, Vol. XX., p. 1056. I 
have alts© beard various opinion® on the same subject. Those 
who have had considerable practical experience in the matter 1 
agree with me that no harm can be done to the stock of any 
Potato by propagating from cuttings, provided the stock is; 
planted out in the open, and the produce properly ripened 
before digging. 
There is no doubt that some subjects' are liable to deteriotar 
tion by over-propagating; but this is when, plants are grown 
in heat and the natural vigour weakened by continued growth, 
which is often, made during the winter, when there is- not, 
sufficient sun and light to properly mature growth. And even 
with the Potato -the long thin shoots taken off the t-uber too 
early would not, give a good crop the siam-e season,; yet, treated 
asi suggested in my article, there will be plenty of time to 
mature the tubers under the natural conditions and without 
the risk of coming in contact with a decaying t-uber, which 
does sometimes- occur when, planting in the ordinary way. 
•• A. D.” refers to- some American varieties which have suffered 
from being propagated from cuttings. Can he really prove 
this to- have Deen the case 1 In the case of American, Pose', I 
know that it was grown for a good many years from the stock 
originally obtained from cuttings, and I never saw or heard 
of .its having been any the worse from being so propagated. I 
would like to ask “ A. D.” if it is not- a fact that many English- 
raised varieties have deteriorated even though not propagated 
by the means lie so strongly condemns? 
It ba-s often occurred to me that in selecting the sma-ll tubers 
from an ordinary crop for planting is more likely to bring 
about- bad results- tha-n taking strong shoots from large tubers. 
And it also seems quite possible that there would be- less risk 
of disease when there is noi old tuber in- the ground. It also 
seems possible to improve any variety by selecting the finest 
ro-ots for seed, and this should be done a-t the time of digging. 
I quite understand that- sma-ll tuber's which ma-y be the result of 
being grown in poor or light- sa-ndy soil may be the best for 
planting ini stronger ground the following season. 
It is with Potato® as with many other subject®; some are 
more liable to deteriorate than other's, and all would be the 
better for careful selection of seed or stock. In my earliest 
experien.ee I was taught the value of selecting stock, and in 
many -instances more advantages accrue- from selection than 
from -artificial cross-fertilisation. A. Hejisley. 
Seaforth P.S.A. Brotherhood. 
To the Editor of The Gardening World. 
Dear Sir, —Herewith please find a lit-tle matter which will 
proba-bly be of interest to your readers, “ Horticulture and 
Religion.” Mo-st people are now -aware of the great- religious 
movement- which is rapidly .spreading over this country in 
the form of ivliat -is known as the P.S.A. Brotherhood. The 
object of this society is to reclaim men. from vice and intemper¬ 
ance, and to make them -useful members of -society. The 
novel and practical method adopted by the Seaforth P.S.A. 
Brotherhood will be best understood by the enclosed card. 
As a- stepping-stone to prepare a-nd encourage men to attend 
-a place of worship, horticulture has been introduced in. the 
form of allotment gardens. This has created quite a sensa¬ 
tion in the district, which is just o-n the outskirts of Liverpool. 
Since the inauguration of the gardens the P.S.A. Brotherhood 
has gone up by leaps and bounds-, over 200 members having 
joined within three months. I mention this to show how 
men can, be led to higher and loftier ideas by using practical 
means in the form of Nature’s birthright —“ the soil.”—Ao-urs 
truly, Thos. Foulds. 
rwe have received a copy of the rules of the P.S.A. Garden 
Allotments, and note that- the arrangements are all ve-iy 
orderly, and -similar in many respects to the rules governing 
other allotment holders’ associations, except that no Sunday 
labour is permitted. A plan of tbe garden shows that- every¬ 
thing is well -arranged, a-nd the plots nearly of equal size. 
We wish the Brotherhood every success.— Ed.] 
Onions Failing to Fonn Bulbs. 
To the Editor of The Gardening World. 
Sir, —Mr. W. Miller, of Berkswell, Coventry, is' not alone in 
his experience of Union growth the past season. (See “ G. W.,” 
p. 39.) Ours, like Mr. Miller’s, were more like Leeks than 
Onions', for not -one of them bulbed, but many of those sown 
in boxes and frames weighed a- ji-ound each. The failing of 
Onions sown in the open, has been general in this district-, the 
exception being Those sown on very light, well-drained, or 
naturally dry soil. Continuous rain and the absence of sun¬ 
shine' are responsible for the failure. I do- not depend on 
those -sown in the open -ground, and I raise as ma-ny as- I can 
under glass, and plant them out- when the weather is suit- 
able. W. P. R. 
Preston. 
