80 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 23, 1904. 
Gloxinias. 
This lovely class of plants may bet propagated by seed, divi¬ 
sion of tubers, and leaf cuttings. Seed-sowing is. by far the 
best ‘of the three methods. A packet of seed from a good 
strain may be relied upon to give flowering plants within six 
months, from the date of sowing. Moreover, successional 
sowings will yield flowers through the greater part of the 
year. The present is a good time for sowing the seed. In 
preparing the pot® or pans for seed it should be remembered 
that the plants must be: pricked off as soon as they are large 
enough to handle ; therefore, instead of filling the pots half-full 
of crocks, it is better to use only a few crocks, and then fill the 
pots about three parts full with loamy soil. This will pre¬ 
vent the light sandy soil, which is used for the surface, becom¬ 
ing dry so quickly, and, consequently, surface watering will 
not. be. needed so often until the seed has germinated. I like 
to place the seed pots as close to the glass as possible ; the seed 
will not germinate so quickly as when placed in a. warm, 
shady position, but the seedlings will be much stronger and less 
liable to damp off. Of course, they require a. little extra, atten¬ 
tion, but in a. bouse where a moist atmosphere is maintained 
they will be safe enough. 
As soon as the seedlings are sufficiently developed they 
should be pricked off, an operation which requires a. little care. 
Every plant should be saved, as the smallest, plants have often 
the finest flowers. If a greater number of seedlings, are ob¬ 
tained than can be grown on into good flowering plants, the 
surplus might have sufficient* .attention to get a bloom or two., 
so that the best may be selected. These will be* useful for 
growing on for an early batch the following year. They may 
be gradually dried off as. soon as they have flowered, and after 
the foliage is withered the conns should be kept in a dry place 
until they are -started into growth again. The first batch 
should be started early, and others started later for succession. 
With a little management a. regular succession may be kept, up 
throughout the summer and autumn. To grow Gloxinias suc¬ 
cessfully, they should from the time they are started be kept 
as close to the glass as possible*, and only have sufficient 
shading to prevent, the bright rays of the sun. scorching the 
leaves. They like -a. moist atmosphere and rather a. high 
temperature during the early stages of their growth, but. as 
they come into* flower the temperature may be reduced, and 
if brought into flower in a. cool house the flowers will be* of 
greater substance and last .much longer than when developed 
in a shady, moist, place. 
Gloxinias may be grown on for a. number of years if de¬ 
sired. The corms should be started in small pots, and potted 
on as soon as they have started into active growth. They 
should be in their flowering pots, before they have made, too 
much growth : otherwise* it will be difficult to pot them with¬ 
out. damaging the foliage. The compost should comist of 
good fibrous loam, leaf-mould, peat in equal parts, with a little 
well-rotted manure and a liberal addition of sand. They re¬ 
quire care in watering and a liberal supply of liquid manure 
from the time they show their flower buds. If allowed to get 
too dry, or otherwise receive a. check, a great portion of the* 
flower buds will remain dormant. Of insect pests, thrips are 
their greatest enemy. Moisture will go a great way towards 
keeping thrips off, but. if they make their appearance regular 
fumigation is the only way to* check them. Fumigating will 
not damage the flowers if it- is done carefully and there is no 
moisture on them at the time. J. W. J. 
Little Green Lily.—A beautiful -rose tint can be given to 
freshly-cut flowers of a naturally white or pale yellow colour 
by plunging the -stems into- a solution of aniline red and allowing 
the dye to become diffused over the petals by absorption. This 
gives a far more natural effect than, can be obtained by the 
clumsy process of dipping the petals themselves in the solution. 
Other colours can be employed in the same way. and a very 
curious effect is produced by the green Lilies and Daffodils thus 
obtained. 
Apple Bismarck. 
The above variety seems to have originated in Tasmania, 
where it was named Prince Bismarck. It was said to have been 
exhibited at the Apple Congress at Chiswick in 1883, but it is 
not recorded in the list of Apples a t the end of the book 
“ British Apple-s.” In 1888, however, it is recorded, so- that 
cultivators have had time to test it in this country. 
The fruit is of large size-, and heavily flushed with dark red 
or bronzy-red on the side: most, exposed to light under favour¬ 
able conditions. The flesh is very firm in texture, so that the 
fruit keeps very well from October to January, during which 
time it- is very serviceable as a cooking Apple, being of first- 
class quality. 
The- tree is of vigorous constitution, and fruits heavily in 
most seasons, so that it is admirably adapted for orchard 
planting. This being- the case, it is also of leading importance 
for market purposes, seeing that it possesses size, high colour, 
and free-bearing properties. It has already been turned to 
Apple Bismarck. 
excellent -account for that purpose, and is likely to receive 
more extended cultivation when its suitability as a. market 
variety is more* widely recognised. These recommendations 
also show that it is well adapted for exhibition purposes, and as 
a matter of fact it is never absent from‘the exhibition table, 
where fruits are much in request, at the autumn and early 
winter shows. 
It is also particularly well adapted for use in private estab¬ 
lishments, seeing that it- may be grown as a standard, and also 
upon a wall where* the* latitude makes it. convenient- to plant 
Apples in such positions. It is also* amenable for cultivation 
on the Paradise stock, where dwarf trees are required, either as 
pyramids or in pots for orchard house* culture. 
As giving some idea, of its propensity for early fruiting, we 
may state that we have seen a. fruit- of large size o-n a maiden 
tree which was, practically, about four or five month's old. 
No doubt there had been a flower bud upon the- graft employed, 
and this was allowed to- take* its course, with the result men¬ 
tioned. Trees of small or moderate size*, but still only a. few 
years old, fruit freely, and the* Apples, they produce* are both - 
large and handsome, coming in well for exhibition purposes. 
Our illustration was prepared from a. photograph taken in 
the nursery of Messrs, J. Cheat and Sons, Crawley, Sussex, in 
November last. 
Readers’ Competition.— Particulars of Weekly Prize see 
centre page. 
