248 
THE QARDEN INQ WORLD. 
March 19, 1904. 
Carrot-coloured Potato. —British growers are not alone in 
their endeavours to improve the Potato. We learn from San 
Francisco that Luthur Burbank has produced an entirely new 
kind of Potato. It has flesh the colour of a Carrot and sweeter 
than ordinary Potatos. At present it is rather small, but he 
intends to improve it in this respect. Originally it came from 
a remote part of South America, and Mr. Burbank has crossed 
and recrossed it till lie lias now between 20,000 and 30,000 
varieties under his care. We presume this large number refers 
to tubers rather than varieties. We suppose this is intended 
to be a “ vefllow Potato terror.” 
* * * 
Hyacinth Competition at Sheffield. —At the recent competi¬ 
tion by children at the day schools in Sheffield 5,000 Hyacinths 
in blue, pink, and white colours were exhibited in the Corn 
Exchange. The competition was originally inaugurated by Mr. 
Wm. Armitage. The children were invited to purchase for 4d. 
a potted Hyacinth bulb, to superintend its growth, and to' enter 
it for competition. The bulbs were potted in October last by 
gardeners at various centres in the city, and the price asked 
represented the cost of bulb, pot, and labour. Each child was 
presented with a sheet giving cultural directions. A remarkable 
fact about the exhibition is that some of the> finest plants shown 
were reared in the slum districts. 
* * * 
Old Cedar in the Physic Garden at Chelsea.— For some 
years past a dead Cedar had been a familiar object in the old 
Botanic Garden at Chelsea. This has now been destroyed, and 
it has been ascertain,ed from the clerk of the committee of 
management that the committee resolved to condemn it, though 
loth to do so, because recently a fungus of a dangerous type 
had attacked the tree and was gradually speading to others. 
A writer in “ The Times ” bemoans the loss of the tree, and 
asks whether the other trees affected by the fungus must also 
perish. If the fungus was of a parasitical nature it will work 
out the destruction of The trees on its own account, so that the 
act of destroying the Cedar was only a method of ensuring the 
safety of the live trees. The Cedar was the sole remaining one 
of four that were planted in 1683. 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 
The Editor invitee enquiries /or reply in thit column. These 
enquiries may cover any branch of gardening. Questions should be 
put as biitiy as possible, and written on one side of the paper only ; 
a separate sheet of paper should be used for each question. 
Renders are also invited to give their fellow gardeners the benefit 
o+ their experience by sending supplementary replies. 
Replies cannot be sent by post, even if a st imped, addressed 
envelope is enclosed, and the return of specimens cannot be undertaken. 
Anonymous communications are treated in the usual editorial manner. 
Address letters: The Editor, “The Gardening World.” 37 and 
38, Shoe Lane, London, E.C. 
Raffia and Strawberry Layering. 
Having read the piece in TRe Gardening World on Straw¬ 
berry forcing in last week’s issue, I do not understand how 
raffia is used when layering. Would you please explain how 
it is done? I have heard of putting stones on them and peg¬ 
ging them down. (Carnation.) 
The method employed is a veiy simple one, and if the soil 
is fairly moist at the time the layering is done it could be 
pressed sufficiently firm to hold the raffia. The plan would be 
to cut the raffia into lengths of 6in. or 8in. and double it in the 
form of a loop or staple. This should be placed over the 
runner and the two ends placed together, and then pressed into 
the soil by means of a peg. After 1 pushing the raffia well down 
soil should be put in the hole made By the peg and pressed quite 
firm. This will serve to, keep the runner in place. A more 
effective way would be to tie the ends of the raffia together in a 
knot after it has been placed round the runner, and the end 
then should be pressed in the soil. This would stand greater 
resistance in pulling it out than if the ends of the raffia were 
simply left loose and untied. It would, however, take a little 
longer time to accomplish. 
Rooting the top of Ficas elastica and Dracaena. 
As I have a plant of Ficus elastica and a Dracaena, both with 
long, bare stalks with three young plants at the top of each, 
could you let me know the best and safest way to get them off 
and rooted? (A. Jamieson.) 
If you want to make sure of rooting the top shoots of the 
Dracaena, the best plan would be to cut off a ring all round the 
stem at the point where you wish roots to be formed. This rum 
should be the depth of a good thick skin, say one gin. deep. 
Then tie a bunch of sphagnum over the cut portion, completely 
covering it. Tie it on firmly with a piece of raffia. Then to 
make sure of holding the moisture about it, you might cut a 
flower-pot in half so as to get the moss and the stem inside the 
pot. Tie the two pieces of the pot together, and keep the moss 
thoroughly moist at all times. The plant should be placed in a 
stove heat until rooted, so as to keep the plant in a fairly 
moist atmosphere. In the case of the Ficus elastica a simpler 
plan may be adopted. Instead of taking off a ring of bark you 
can press the knife blade right through the stem, making a cut 
up and down the centre about lin. to lgin. long. To prevent 
this closing, push a wedge of wood into the cut so as to keep 
the two halves open, otherwise it would merely heal over. Now 
bind up the cut with sphagnum much in the same way as 
advised for the Dracaena. If you put it in a moist stove there 
will be no necessity for putting a pot cut in half round the moss. 
In the absence of this it would be safer to' cut a pot in'half for the 
purpose. Each separate shoot must be treated in the way advised. 
After roots have been formed in plenty amongst the sphagnum, 
the tops may be cut off and put into pots separately, removing 
most of the sphagnum before doing so if in any way bulky. 
Correction. 
Please allow me to say that you have in this week’s issue of 
The Gardening World inserted my article over the wrong 
initials. The article in question is “ Hardy Heaths,” and is 
signed H. H. The initials I sent with the article are S. W. 
We were quite well aware that we had not got hold of the 
right initials, but as the letter and the article had become sepa¬ 
rated, we forgot what the initials should have been, although 
we were perfectly well aware who the writer was. We would be 
more than thankful if our correspondents would place their 
initials at the end of the articles themselves, as it is a great tax 
on memory to remember initials and nom de plume when, by 
any accident the same get detached from the article. 
Culture of Liliums in Pots. 
Could you let me know about the proper culture of Liliums in 
pots, such as L. lanoifolium album, L. auratum, etc. P (A. 
Jamieson.) 
Presuming you have the Lily bulbs beside you in the autumn, 
you should pot them carefully about that time in a compost of 
loam and peat in about equal parts, with sufficient sharp sand 
to render the soil porous. If the bulbs are imported it is better 
to wait until you can get those imported in early spring, as 
they are usually better ripened than those which come home in 
the autumn. The bulbs may be placed singly in well-drained 
pots near the bottom, so that you can simply cover them, while 
leaving the upper half of the pots empty at that time. When 
potted moderately firmly, place the pots in an intermediate house, 
without giving any water if the soil ’is properly moist at the 
time of potting. An overhead syringing will be sufficient until 
growth commences, a-nd even that will only he required occa¬ 
sionally. After the young shoots are well above the soil the bulbs 
may be transferred into larger pots, or, if already in sufficiently 
large, pots, the latter should be filled up to within an inch of the 
rim with a similar compost to that already given. Deep potting 
is of importance to the above Lilies, as they give off, roots from 
the stem.' Keep the plants near the light at all times after they 
have commenced to grow, and syringe the foliage frequently to 
keep them clear of aphides. The latter must be attended to, 
even if it is necessary to give them special treatment^ to keep, 
down the insects. As the plants approach the flowering stage you 
may feed them rather liberally by giving weak liquid manure 
twice or three times a week. This should not be given, however, 
until you can see the flower buds advancing. Unless you wish 
to hurry on the plants they should he grown cool, and unless 
they are required for early work you should keep them in a green¬ 
house the whole time after they have started until they come 
into bloom. After the leaves begin to wither water may be 
gradually withheld until perfectly ripe, after which the bulb.’ 
may be repotted for another season’s work. 
Examination in Horticulture 
Would you, through ’the medium of your valuable paper, kindly 
furnish me with’ the following information—What are the neces¬ 
sary subjects of examination for the degree of F.R.H.S. of the 
Royal Horticultural Society, and could you advise me as to the 
most suitable books for study P I learn there are tutors for 
above ; if convenient, please give the address of a reliable tutor. 
(Progress.) 
