280 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 2, 1904. 
Propagation and Cultivation of Three Climbers. 
Clematis indivisa. lobata, flowering as it doesi at this season 
of the year, one cannot help but admire it in all its grace and 
beauty, either on a rafter or trained up 1 a, back wall. Pro¬ 
pagation of this variety is not so easy as one would like. There 
are several methods which I will try to> deta.il as. practically as 
possible. Cuttings made when the plants are in a growing 
state in the late spring should be cut rather more than 1 in. 
below the joint, and the stem split up, a little moss placed in, 
the split to keep it. open; then insert in sandy soil in tliimble- 
pots and place in a propagating case with a temperature about 
70 deg. The cuttings generally take some weeks, but as soon 
as roots appear the cutting should be taken out. of the eases 
and placed on a. stage in the warm end of a greenhouse. The 
most successful way that I know is to graft it 
either on the rootsi of C. Viticella, or C. Flam- 
mula. C. Vitalba has. been, recommended as 
a. stock for C. indivisa, lobata, but my expe¬ 
rience is that it lives a very short time on this 
stock. The best, time to perform this opera¬ 
tion, is the month oif April, and the simplest 
way to do* it is to take a shoot cut, just above 
every joint or eye and about 1 in. below, then 
split each portion straight, down, leaving an 
eye on, each piece, then take still another thin 
slice off, and a,s you get, near the bottom give 
the knife a slant to the left, and it will leave a, 
bevel. Then take the root and take a slice 
of it equal in length to the scion, then fit on, 
seeing that the inside bark of each fits. Tie 
with raffia, and when, potting just leave' the 
eye above the soil. Place into a propagating 
frame about 70 deg., and in about, ten, days 
they should be callused. Take them out, oif 
case® as soon as the eye is about 1 in. long 
and place on the stage in a, 'temperature of 
65 deg. to' 70 deg. When the growths are 
about 1 ft. in length they may be potted into 
4-in. pots, using a, compost two parts loam, 
one part leaf-mould, with a little peat and a 
good sprinkling of silver sand. When the! 
plants are well established in the 4-in. pot® 
they will be ready for their permanent, posi¬ 
tions. 
Clianthus puniceus or Parrots Bill, with its 
scarlet, flowers, forms a lovely climber. Cut¬ 
ting-si madei of young growths strike freely in 
sand in a propagating case shaded from all sun 
The cutting with proper treatment will be rooted sufficiently 
in. three weeks to be taken out of case, and should be potted 
when the rootsi have reached the bottom of the pots, using a 
compost three part® loam, one part leaf-mould, one part de¬ 
cayed manure, with sufficient sand to keep it, open. Poti 
moderately firm, and syringe: the plant® daily to keep, them 
growing and to prevent, the attacks of red spider. Should the 
plants receive an attack, syringe at night with weak soot water 
and clean water the following morning. Great care must be 
taken that the plants do not in the least get, dry at, the rootsi, 
as it certainly opens the way for red spider if allowed to, suffer 
in that way. 
Jasminum grandiflorum is well worthy of a place in the 
greenhouse, with its white flowers and graceful foliage. This 
variety does not, climb so quickly a,s some' varieties', and will 
make a good bush plant, with a, little care. Cuttings' strike 
when made from young rvood in, spring and from well ripened 
wood in autumn. When grafted on J. officinale its climbing 
qualities are increased. A suitable compost, is two, parts loam, 
one part peat and sand. W. J. B. 
Scilla bifolia alba- —Those who grow the ordinary blue S. 
bifolia should not hesitate to plant the white variety, a,s it 
flowers as freely and a,s early as the type, while the flowers are 
pure white and pretty. 
Apple King Edward VII. 
Early last autumn I had the pleasure of visiting the well- 
kept nurseries of Messrs. W. B. Rowe and Son, at Barbourne, 
Worcester, and saw about 10,000 fine standards and bushes of 
the above variety, which is now being distributed for the first 
time. There seems not the slightest doubt that this new 
Apple will prove one of the most valuable late varieties ever 
introduced, and I can certainly bear testimony as to its be¬ 
coming fruitful at a very early period, for, in spite of this 
exceptionally sunless season, quite young trees were covered 
with fruit, buds. But, the chief feature of King Edward YII. 
is that, like Court Pendu Plat (so often termed the Wise Apple], 
it blooms very late, and thus misses the spring frosts. In 
point of fact it only blooms a week in advance of this latter 
Gaillardia, Veitch’s Compact Straix. (See p. 277.) 
variety. Thanks to this propensity, the raisers liave been 
able to gather a grand lot, of fruit last, autumn, which goes to 
prove how suitable this variety will lie for planting in dis¬ 
trict® troubled by late frosts'. In their endeavour to produce 
a race of late flowering as well as late keeping Apples, Messrs. 
Rowe 1 are relying on, Blenheim Orange for one of their parents, 
and this grand old variety has fully justified the confidence 
they have reposed in it. As most people are 1 now aware King 
Edward YII. is a cross between Blenheim Orange and Golden 
Noble, and received a unanimous Award of Merit on March 
24th, 1903. Through the kindness of the raisers, I have been 
enabled to test its cooking qualities, and am able to pronounce 
it to be an, excellent culinary variety, and when the fact is 
borne in mind that it is in season from April to June, seme 
idea of its value may be formed. 
One of the most promising seedlings now > pon trial in- 
Messrs. Rowe’s nursery has been named Queen Alexandra,, and 
is the result of crossing Blenheim Orange with Alfriston. This 
is- also a late bloomer and late keeper, being in season from 
mid-January to mid-April. The fruit closely reeemifies Alfris- 
ton, and is about the same size, while the skin is yellowish 
green, with a red cheek on the sunny side. The tree is a 
regular and great bearer, upright in growth, and very short 
jointed. It will be introduced as a late culinary fruit. Those 
experts who liave seen, it are pleased with it, and no doubt it 
will not be long before it makes its appearance before the Fruit 
Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society. A. G. 
