6 
the gardening world. 
January 2, 1904. 
If it is a hot and dry season, they will require to be watered 
three times a week at the very least. , 
August is the best month to commence layering, but be sure 
and commence in good time. By October the layers will be 
well rooted, and may be lifted. Although they are quite hardy, 
they are likely to become sickly-lookmg and yellow it iett 
out, and it should happen to be a wet winter. Therefore it is 
best to lift them, and pot them singly into 3-m. pots, and winter 
them in a cold frame, or they could be planted out m a cold 
frame in a moderately rich and loamy soil ; take care to plain, 
them firmly, and let each plant stand clear of its neighbour, 
but I should prefer to pot them myself, as then the roots are 
not injured when planting-out time comes. In lifting the layers 
a small fork will be found better than a trowel,_ so as not ,o 
injure the young tender roots. 
While they are in their winter quarters do not coddle tnem, 
but expose them to all the air and light possible, and be sure 
and do not get them wet. On dry and fine days draw the lights 
off the frames altogether, but on a wet day prop up the lights 
back and front alternately. In frosty weather I should prefer 
closing the lights in good time. The top soil should be stirred 
and loosened up occasionally. , 
I omitted to say early on in this article that the strongest 
growing varieties should be potted into 4g-in. pots. 
Carnations are very subject to the attacks of greenfly, but 
this can be kept down by; occasionally syringing them with 
weak tobacco-water or quassia chip solution. 
If Carnations are grown this way, I feel sure they will well 
repay the grower for all the trouble he. may have taken. I 
will another time give a selection of some of the best varieties , 
also their enemies, diseases, and prevention of same, if you 
care for it. Trusting I have not encroached on the valuable 
space of your paper, Japonica. 
Watering. 
Toi see sum© yuiung gardeners waitering, one would thinly 
that' this operation was: a very insignificant part of the cul¬ 
tivation of plants; whereas, if they did but .know, it, it is 
one: of—if not. the:—-most important part of their cultivation. 
What a. great pity some young gardeners: do not give more 
thought to watering while they are at it, and water with their 
heads asi well as their hands. 
Many a time you will see young men running the spout, of a 
can along a row of plants and slopping the water on the plants, 
every one alike; they never give heed whether the plant 
requires water or not. 
What is the consequence? Why, you see a. plant dying here: 
one damping badly in, another place, and many other's have a 
most sickly look, simply because the soil has: become sour and 
stagnant, owing-to excess of water. 
Then, again,, .some: have: a. very bad habit of what. I call 
“ top. watering!” By tins 1 mean just wetting the top of the 
soil, and then the consequence is that the hall of the plant, 
very soon becomes clustery, and then when they see the leaves: 
and flowers droop and fall off, they wonder what is the cause 
of it. This, is nearly as bad an evil as over watering. 
When you are watering plants, water only those: that need 
it and while you are watering fill up the pots to the rim. In 
watering, enough waiter should be given to allow it to: run 
through the bottom of the pot, with exceptions, such as newly- 
potted plants:. 
If you have: any doubt as to whether a. plant is. dry or not, do 
not be afraid of your knuckles, but rap the pot with your 
knuckles, and you can easily tell then whether it is dry or 
not—a, dear ring means dry, and a dull ring wet. 
Of course, some plants require much less water than other's, 
so. we see, as I said before, watering must be done by the head 
as well as by the. hands. Watering can only be properly learnt, 
by practice, and by closely observing each class of plants as to 
its requirements by way of water". Of course, if a man knows 
the native country of a. plant and knows whether tire, atmo¬ 
sphere of that country is wet or dry, it will be a great help to 
lrinr. If you take careful notice you cannot help but see that 
a quick-growing plant, a.s a, rule, requires much more water 
than a, slow-growing one. It. is a. very bad plan to water a. 
plant at mid-day with a hot s-un shining on it; of course, 
occasionally, it cannot be well avoided. 
I think I hardly need say that soft water should always be 
used wherever it can be procured, a.s it is much more: suitable 
than hard water for plants, and, another thing, always water 
with the water somewhere about, the same temperature as. the 
house they are in. 
Another little point I think worth noting is that I have 
always found it best, in, watering pans or pots of small seeds, 
such as Begonias, Gloxinias, etc., to dip the pots or pans up 
to' the level of the: rims in, a. bucket, or tank of water until 
you sea the water working its -way through the: surface of the 
soil; you can then be sure: that, the whole bodj^ of the soil is 
moist. 
Again, in watering some: plants a, great, amount of damage 
is. sometimes done: by wetting them overhead, because the sun 
very often does a. great amount of damage to the fine foliage 
and blossoms, of many plants owing to their being -wet. 
In winter or the resting season, of many plants much less 
water should be given, because, practically speaking, the roots 
are inactive and at. a. standstill and do. not absorb up the same 
amount of moisture as in, the summer season, when the: roots 
are. in full action. When, watering with a stimulant, such a.s 
manure-water, never overstep the mark by giving the liquid 
too strong - , rather err on the: other side: and give little: and 
often. 
In this article I have: not dealt, with the watering of Orchids, 
but, with the Editor’s permission, I should he very pleased to 
do so in some future issue. 
Once more, always: water 1 with the head as well as the hands, 
and then, there will not be so many sickly-looking plants about 
and less, plants about, with their roots bare, owing to their 
having had all the: soil swilled away by careless watering. 
* Japonica. 
Stoking. 
I give a few notes here on .stoking that may be of some 
interest to the readers of your valuable paper, The Gardening 
World, space permitting. Stoking, though not a very 
pleasant job, is one of the: most important, and on its proper 
performance greatly depends the successful culture of plants 
under glass. An annual examination of boiler and appur¬ 
tenances should be made by an expert in or - before the month 
of August, as the fire can be dispensed with then. Foul chim¬ 
neys should then be cleaned, all defective valves and joints re¬ 
packed. Given a, clean start,, a fortnightly clearance of the 
flues should keep the fire going well throughout if anthracite 
coal is used, but. if the common black coal I advise a weekly 
clearance of the flues. When cleaning the flues, always com¬ 
mence a,t the top flue: and work downwards, and clear the soot 
and ashes out of the bottom flue doors. Bass brushes will 
cleanse the hues more thoroughly than the hair ones generally 
used. In upright boilers, where the smoke escapes through an 
opening at the sides, small pieces of coke usually find their way 
into the: flues:. A long iron rod with a, flat, piece of iron turned 
down, at the end, in shape of a dra,w-hoe, will remove them. On 
seeing to: the fires in the morning, draw out. the dampers, and 
give the fire, a) good poking, removing all the clinkers and dirt. 
If the fire is low, add very little fuel, so* as- to: let it get a, good 
start, coming back in an hour’s time and adding more fuel 
to it. See that the ash-box is emptied every morning, so as to 
get a good draught. It is the best policy to, never keep the 
furnace more than half full of fire, as then the best heat is got 
up.. A .small body of fire can, also be: more easily controlled 
than a large one, and in, ease of bright sunshine following on 
a cold, frosty night,, this: is of great importance. In making up 
a fire for the night,, first- see that, the: temperature is up to or 
above the average ; then the furnace can be filled with finely- 
broken fuel to within 1 in. or 2 in. of the top. All the draught, 
should be taken off with the exception of 2 in. on one damper 
and 2 in. left open, on, the bottom doors; and if any doubt be 
felt of the lasting properties: of the fire; throw a shovelful of 
dry ashes on the front to steady it,. It, is a, had habit, to use 
too much ashes: for banking up, for they mean bigger clinkers 
next morning. J. K. D. 
