342 
THE GARDEN l NO WORLD . 
April 23. 1904. 
E. Wared has been described as the most beautiful, very high 
praise indeed where all are so charming. It is very difficult 
to obtain; indeed, at one time fears were entertained that it 
was lost to cultivation. In The Gardening AA orld for 
July 11th last year there appeared, however, a letter from a, 
correspondent in Scotland stating that E. Ad arei was in flowei 
there. In addition was a note by the editor stating that spikes 
of flowers had been shown at the Holland House Flower Show. 
The flowers are a bright citron-yellow, not uillike those of E. 
Bungei, but being produced on immense spikes 9 ft. in height, 
and^the foliage resembling that o ; f E. robustus, there is, of 
course, no further resemblance. It would be interesting to 
have an authoritative account of its introduction, into this 
, Herb. 
country. 
Phlox decussata varieties for Exhibition. 
The numerous lovely varieties of Phloxes in commerce at 
the present day and tlieii" importance and telling effect, in ex¬ 
hibits of herbaceous flowers make the question how best to 
grow them an important one. 
First of all, choose your varieties, carefully ; tastes differ 
considerably, but, to my mind Etna, Jocelyn, Beranger, 
Coquelicot, Embarrassment, Champignol and Iris or Eschv 
mon.de are the pick. 
Having obtained a stock of these varieties, or others equally 
reliable, place them at oncei in an intermediate temperature, 
and in a few days you will be able to take a crop of cuttings 
from them. Treat these cuttings similarly to Chrysanthemum 
cuttings; dibble them into sandy compost in pots or boxes 
according to their number ; place: on a mild bottom heat, and 
in a week or so they will be rooted. In about four weeks they 
can be potted up into 4-in. pots, grown on till well rooted, 
hardened off in a, frame, and then planted out, in May. The 
ground for their reception should be deeply dug' and well 
manured with rich cow manure. Choose a position where, in 
case of the unexpected happening—namely, a, dry season-—they 
will be least subject to drought. This is an important point, 
as if they are allowed to suffer in this or any other way, the 
substance of the flower deteriorates. In, case of a dry season, 
a mulch is very beneficial or the soil between the plants can he 
kept loose with the hoe. The distance apart depends on the 
amount of space at disposal; 9 in. each way would be ample, 
and I have seen good results with less. Of course, the point 
is that by growing the plant on with a single stem all the 
energy is concentrated in, a, single truss which is much larger 
and more useful for exhibition than trusses produced from old 
clumps. AA . M. 
The Bouvardia. 
The Bouvardia is one of the most useful plants that can be 
grown' for winter use, the flowers being much prized for all 
kinds of decoration, especially for buttonholes', sprays, and 
bouquets. 
Young plants, which can, he grown, into good-sized plants in; 
a single season, will produce more and finer quality flowers 
than old plants. 
They are easily propagated by cuttings or roots; if by the 
former the old plants, after flowering, should be cut, back 
about the: first week in April, and placed in, a warm house, 
when they will soon: make lateral shoots; these should be 
taken, off with a heel and placed round the edge of pots filled 
with sand and placed in, a, propagating frame. 
If by roots, the old plants should be shaken, out at the same 
season, selecting the largest roots. Cut these into -|--in. lengths, 
put them into pans of sandy soil or peat about, \ in. deep,, place 
them in a propagating pit or stove house, when, they will 
grow freely, care being taken: not, to keep 1 the soil too, wet. 
AA T hen these are found to he rooted, gradually harden: off 
before bringing them from the propagating pit, so as: to pre¬ 
vent them flagging. When sufficiently hardened they must he 
potted singly into small pots and kept in a moist boat and 
shaded from the sun through the middle of the day. 
After root action commences pinch out the points of the 
shoots in, order to, produce side branches; these 1 , after making 
t wo points, should again be pinched, and continue to do 1 so until 
bushy plants are obtained. Syringe twice a day to prevent 
the ravages of red spider and green fly. As the pots get filled 
with rcotsi, shift into 1 larger pots into 1 a, mixture of peat, loam, 
and leaf-soil in about, equal parts:, adding enough sand to keep 
the whole porous 1 and giving them plenty of drainage. 
By August they will be established, when they can he moved 
to a cool house or frame, where they can have full ventilation 
to mature their growth and cause them to set their flower-buds. 
Towards the end of September place them again into a warm 
house, and as the flowers are wanted place in, a stove tempera¬ 
ture in, order to 1 keep 1 a succession of flowers during the winter 
months. For the latest hatch they should be grown entirely 
in a, cool house, or planted out in cold frames, keeping them 
syringed and shaded from the: sun until the autumn, when 
they can be taken: up and potted and kept in a cool house. 
The following are a few of the best varieties :—Alfred Neuner, 
Candidissima, Purity (white), Dazzler, President Cleveland, 
Thomas: Meehan 1 (scarlet), Mrs. Robert Green, President Gar¬ 
field (pink). J. G. 
The Value of a Margin. 
It is not 1 always recognised in planting a garden how de¬ 
sirable it is to leave sufficient room for the development of 
each subject, and to 1 set apart ground for the bringing on of 
plants that will succeed others in blooming at a later period; 
this omission does not always strike one at first, and as a 
consequence we see herbaceous borders filled almost to their 
utmost capacity at the start, no margin being- left. That this 
is a mistake those who have had much to do with hardy per¬ 
ennials will bear me out, and I have only to instance a few 
that are well known to show how futile it is to expect them to 
do well for any length of time, without division and without 
each having its allotted space. Perhaps no plants grow quicker, 
or if neglected for a few years get into a more confused en¬ 
tanglement than do Campanulas', Helianthuses, Phloxes, Star- 
worts, Paeonies, Funkias, Gaillardias, Month re tias, and Eri- 
gerons; and besides this 1 , one has always to remember where 
clumps are left in this way, that the flowers produced from 
them are poor and puny, and will scarcely bear comparison 
with those gathered from clumps which have been regularly 
divided and which do' not"“ elbow ” one another, so to speak. 
In iny opinion, there are few subjects that pay better for look¬ 
ing after than those mentioned, as they provide quantities of 
blossoms, most of them being of special service for table de¬ 
coration. On the other hand, one has hut to leave them alone 
—to neglect them altogether for a time—and just as certain 
will they degenerate. 
But it is not in hardy herbaceous plants' alone that the value 
of space is appreciated. AVe see it also in the bedding-out 
system ; in the sowing of annuals; in the sowing of salads; in 
the planting-out of vegetables; in the filling of the rockeiy 
with mosses and alpine plants, little if any margin is left for 
growth, for the proper development of the subjects, and so 
after a time degeneration sets in. Take one: familiar example 
in regard to annuals. A bed of Mignonette or a row of Sweet 
Peas is sown ; instead of room being left for each seed to grow 
from the very first, it is a, struggle for existence, and the fittest 
do not always survive; the result is a conglomeration of plants, 
the greater proportion of which never come to maturity. Neg¬ 
lect to thin them, leave them alone, and they will shrivel and 
stifle each other ; but let each have its margin and a fair start, 
and the value will be seen by better-developed plants, borders 
less crowded, finer quality of blossoms, plants that to the 
ordinary observer betoken good culture, rewarding one with a 
greater profusion of blossoms'—flowers that bear upon them by 
their size and beauty the hall-mark of excellence. 
Gersuom, 
