July 30, 1904. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
C 09 
The Stove and Greenhouse. 
Mignonette. — For providing 'plants for flowering under 
glass in winter the first batch may be sown at this time, and 
one or two 1 more batches at intervals of a week or ten days to 
ensure succession. To obtain the best results the plants must 
be grown on freely, yet sturdily, from the seedling until housed 
for the winter. The pots should be clean and efficiently 
drained. Some growers sow in 3j-in. pots, and when these 
are filled with roots, shift on into 6-in. or 7-in., in which 
they are flowered; others sow direct in the flowering pots. 
Of the two, I prefer the former method, though excellent results 
may be achieved by the latter, provided a little extra attention 
be paid to watering and other details of culture. The compost 
j should consist of two parts loam to one each of leaf soil and 
decomposed manure', adding a good portion of sand and mortar- 
rubble and a sprinkling of soot and bone meal, the whole to 
be well incorporated and used in a lumpy state. Sow thinly 
and evenly, and cover slightly with finely-sifted soil'. Afford 
a, good watering and place in a close frame to germinate. 
When the seedlings are large enough, thin out, leaving from 
three to five of the strongest; grow on in frames until the 
nights become cold, when they should be remove®' to a shelf in 
the greenhouse and put near the roof glass. Flace a neat stake 
to each plant before they fall about, and tie the main stem 
loosely to it. Great care is necessary in applying water to the 
plants in winter, it being better to err on the side of dryness 
than to over-water. As the flowering pots become filled with 
roots, feed the plants occasionally with soot-water and liquid 
sheep or cow manure, alternating this with guano well 
diluted. 
Chrysanthemums.—The plants grown for producing large 
blooms will have well filled their pots with roots, and some 
stimulants must be given regularly from this time onward. 
A few years ago it was considered by many growers unne¬ 
cessary to commence feeding the plants until buds had formed, 
and there may still be some who- adhere to the method, but it 
has been proved beyond doubt that the best results follow 7 
when gentle and continuous feeding is practised from the time 
the roots reach the sides of the flowering pots until the first 
petals are unfolding. A change of food is beneficial to the 
plants, and, assuming that farmyard liquid manure has been 
given for a week, they may be watered with clear water only 
for a few 7 days, and then afforded a sprinkling of some approved 
artificial manure, washing this in w T ell with clear water for a 
few more days. Well-diluted guano is a good Qhrysanthemum 
manure, as is soot-water; these assist the plants materially 
and give tone to the foliage. 
Plants grown as bushes, whether in pots or planted out, 
should be fed occasionally, and no further stopping of the 
i shoots should be done. Attend closely to removing the side 
shoots from the large-blooming plants, and keep free from 
weeds and suckers. It is a great mistake to allow weeds t o 
become large, for in removing them many fibrous feeding roots 
will be damaged. 
Bulb3 for early flowering. — In the cultivation of bulbs for 
early flowering there are two' points of primary importance, 
viz., secure only the largest and best-ripened bulbs that can 
be had, and pot them up as soon as they come to hand. In 
j many establishments the earliest flowers are in request for 
Christmas or before, and to' ensure an abundance of them thus 
early the bulbs must be potted up as early as possible, so that, 
plenty of healthy roots are formed before hard forcing com¬ 
mences. Among bulbs for present potting mention may be 
; made of Roman Hyacinths, Polyanthus Narcissi of sorts, Tulips 
of the Van Thol type, and Lily of the Valley. Use a light 
| sandy compost, and do not press the soil too firmly, especially 
under the bulbs. Place in a frame and cover with dry soil or 
cocoa-nut fibre refuse until brought in for forcing. Coa.l-ashes 
as a plunrino- material is harmful, and should not he used. 
1 ° ° K. M. 
Readers’ Competition. —Particulars of weekly prize see 
centre page. 
Fruit Under Glass. 
Pines.— This fruit is not grown nearly as much as it was 
a quarter of a century ago, but on the authority of more than 
one connoisseur home-grown fruits are far ahead in flavour 
to those imported, and as good fruit can be out within twenty 
to. twenty-four months after inserting the sucker, it seems a 
great pity that the culture of thei Pin© should be on the 
decline. On the earliest fruiterers suckers should be large 
enough to detach by twisting it clean out, then remove a few 
of the bottom, leaves and cut square across, when all will be 
ready for inserting into 5-im. or 6-in. pots, using good loamy 
soil for them and making each one quite firm. At this season! 
shade- -should be afforded them, when bright until rooted, and 
if the pots are well watered ait the start, the syringe will 
keep them moist for some days when plunged as they should! 
be and placed in the coolest end of the Pine range. 
Advancing fruits will take plenty of root nourishment until 
colouring commences-, also a thin -shade from 10.20 to 3.20 
p.m. during the bright summer weather we have been 
favoured with this month, somewhat different to last season. 
Plants started recently for winter fruiting require careful 
handling to have good, fruit from October to- May. Black 
Jamaica, Charlotte Rothschild, and! Smooth- Cayenne are the 
best- trio for this work. Examine each plant twice each we-eik, 
and apply water -freely when required, as the pots should b-ei 
full of roots by now if placed there early in the year, and i-b 
is useless to attempt to fruit Pines during winter without this 
one essential. Light, well-heated structures, too-, are neces¬ 
sary with bottom-heat pipes. Afford 'abundant ventilation 
and atmospheric moisture this bright weather. Even where 
fruits are ripening, plenty -of water should be frequently dis¬ 
tributed along the paths, beds and walls. Very lit-t-le firer 
heat i-s necessary now, yet we never let- them out, as warm 
water is necessary, but keep 1 them down- as low as possible, 
warming them a little extra towards 9 p.m., which will keep 
the temperature up- to 70 deg. or thereabouts. 
Figs. —With so much sunshine of late, -the fruit is of much 
better colour and decidedly better flavour than it has been 
tlie past two- -seasons, and Figs enjoy all the sun it is possible 
to- give them; therefore expose them to -it by tying aside 
growths or leaves that are shading them t-o- any extent. Some 
growers take three crops in one season, but I think two 
sufficient for the trees to mature within a twelvemonth. Give 
copious -supplies of diluted manure-water to trees swelling 
their fruits, and they will take in a great quantity at this time 
of year, whether in, pots or borders; frequent syringing, too, 
is the best means of keeping awa-y red 1 spider, but this must 
be limited as -soon as the fruit begins to ripen. Destroy any 
suckers that show, as th-eise -deprive the fruit from swelling, 
the sap rushing up the- former instead of' to those branches 
carrying fruit. Ventilation must be free and given early 
mornings with such clear skies as of late, and 3.30 p.m. will 
be early enough to olo-s-e for a, few weeks yet. 
Peaches. — Trees in unheated houses that h-a-ve been 
pushed on by husbanding solar heat as formerly advised will 
b-e now ripening their f-ruit, when a free circulation of air 
must be maintained day and night, thei syringe being laid 
aside for the present, and should the birds b-e troublesome the 
ventilators mus-t be netted. Although it is advisable to with¬ 
hold the water-can a- bit while the fruits are ripe, do not err 
on the dry side, or the tre-esi will suffer. In our case we give 
a- thorough watering as soon as it is noticed that the fruits are 
ripening, and the border is given, a heavy mulch of old bay, 
which retains the moisture until the fruits a re cleared , with 
the exception of one o-r two late varieties, these are- examined 
every tern days or so, and water applied if necessary. The 
syringe may a-lsoi be plied among these until ripening com- 
metnlces, and if it is necessary to retard any fruit as late as 
possible, the ventilators should be thrown open as vide as 
possible. Look over the trees, and gather ripe fruit early 
mornings and store in a. cool, shady fruit-room. 
Briton-, Devonshire. James Matne. 
