646 
August 13, 1904. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
has finished, be stood outside also, and these, being in smaller 
pots, will require abundant supplies of water until tine foliage 
show signs of ripening, when less will be required, as in the 
case of those planted out. James Mayne. 
Bictoon, Devonshire. 
Hardy Trees and Shrubs. 
Since writing my last notes on the above subject we have 
been favoured in this district, and I hope throughout the 
country, with excellent rain®, which were badly needed after 
the long spell of drought, and vegetation of all classes ha® 
assumed a much more pleasing appearance. We may expect 
now that the shrubberies will not suffer any more this season 
from dry weather, and the general work can proceed apace. 
It will be necessary to keep the surface soil frequently stirred 1 
at this time of year, for when weeds are allowed to< flower and 
seed down they often cause considerable trouble, so> that they 
should be hoed, up and removed to the rubbish heap- and burnt, 
or Otherwise destroyed. Any summer pruning of individual 
shrubs whibh hasi been delayed should also be done without 
delay. The pruning or clipping of the various kinds of hedges 
will also demand attention, if they are to present a neat and 
tidy appearance, and a great deal depends on how this i® per¬ 
formed as to what sort of hedges they make. The pruning 
of this kind of planting has’to be carefully dome from the 
outset, so' that a good sound! basis is formed on which to build 
up the hedge, whether it be of Holly, Yew, Privet, Thorn, 
Laurel, or any of those subjects generally used for the purpose. 
It is often wished 1 to get a hedge up to a good height in a 
shark time, but if too much growth is allowed to remain, this 
seldom proves satisfactory, it being far better to prune closely, 
soi that a short, thick growth is made, and then, when it has 
reached a fair height, if kept closely clipped, few things in the 
garden look more pleasing. 
Removing Hollies. — If it is desired to transplant any of 
these, the present month is the most suitable for the operation, 
choosing showeay weather if possible. Before attempting to 
remove Hollies, the site which it is intended they shall occupy 
should be well prepared by taking out a hole to a suitable 
depth and width, and see that the same is thoroughly well 
drained, for nothing resents excess of water at, the roots, if it 
cannot get, away easily, more than, these, so that particular 
attention should be paid to' this.. The tree, can then, be lifted 
with a good ball of soil, and the size' of the head must deter¬ 
mine: how large this'shall be. Mat it round tightly, so that 
the soil remains moist, and very little will then shake a,way 
from the roots. As soon as it is placed in the correct position 
in the hole, fill in. with some of the finest soil first, and after¬ 
wards 1 press the whole quite firmly. Should the weather be 
warm, a. syringing overhead will be necessaiy daily, but avoid 
applying too- much at, the roots. 
The Catalpas. — Both for the beauty of their foliage and 
flowers, these are among the most ornamental of all hardy 
trees and shrubs, and they may be considered by some to be 
not thoroughly hardy, yet one seldom hears of them failing to 
succeed in any moderately good: open soil. For forming 
specimens in the park or pleasure grounds, the undermentioned 
are all suitable, and for sub-tropical bedding they can, also be 
used with excellent results. They are of easy culture, and 
when once established can be left to take care of themselvesi, 
little pruning being required. 
The besitdmowni variety is C. bignonioides, which has largei, 
heart-shaped leaves, downy beneath, and produces large quan¬ 
tities of flower-spikes from the tipsl of the branches. These 
are large individually and white in. colour, with violet and 
yellow markings 1 running down the throat. This is also an 
excellent tree for planting in towns, as it succeeds, in a smoke¬ 
laden atmosphere. The variety of this named C. b. aurea 
has beautiful bright golden foliage, which is highly ornamental, 
and so is the purple form C. b. purpurea, the young leaves 
being an intense purple colour. Another good form of this 
is C. b. foliis, variegatis, which is conspicuous for the beauty 
of its variegation. 3 
C. speciosa differs considerably from C. bignonioides, beino- 
more upright in growth, and with pale green foliage. The 
flowers are also more showy, being whiter and more decidedly 
marked. It flowers 1 earlier than the common variety, and was 
not introduced from the United States until 1879, whereas C. 
bignonioides was received in. this country in 1798. 
Aldenham House Gardens, Elstree. A. E, Thatcher. 
Layering Carnations—Souvenir de la Mal- 
maison Family. 
Now isi the most suitable time for layering the above Car¬ 
nations. Plants that have finished flowering should now be 
layered without delay. The best method is to layer them in 
a frame; one that has had early Potato® or Cucumbers will 
do very well. 
Put a, fair thickness of fresh soil over the old, then turn 
the plants out of the pots and lay them in a, sloping position; 
by doing this you are not so likely to snap off the young 
growths. Then select the strongest and healthiest plants, free 
from red spider and other pests-. Cut away all old and de¬ 
caying foliage to- within, about four or five joints from the 
points. Then with a good sharp budding knife on the under¬ 
side make a, cut, drawing the knife upwards through one joint, 
then securely p-eg the growth down firmly and cover over 
with fresh soil, using plenty of road-sand and grit, as this 
makes the wound callus all the quicker. 
Doi not by any means: layer too many on one plant. If the 
stock is: fa,My plentiful, -four layers are sufficient for one plant 
to find nourishment for. If more- is, done, it only tends to 
weaken them, and the result is only a, lot of weak and, sickly 
plants. Better by half start with half the quantity of good, 
strong healthy plants from the first, then, you can expect some 
returns: for labour expended. After this give them a good 
watering to settle the soil, and keep- the frame closed and 
shaded from bright sunshine till they have made roots. They 
should alsoi be syringed overhead every morning and evening 
to keep them, fairly moist. Do nlot keep them saturated, as 
Carnations: do not- like water to hang about them. 
After they have made sufficient roots, out them away from 
the old plants a day or two- previous- to potting them. Doi not 
by any means out them from the old plant® and pot them the 
same day, but give the wound a little time to- partly heal u-p. 
Then pot them into 60’s pot® in a compost of good friable 
loam and a little manure from a spent Mushroom bed, a small 
quant ity of broken, charcoal and plenty oh silver sand to make 
the whole porous, as Malmaison, Carnations are terrors if waiter 
stands about the roots-, especially during winter months. Then 
place them in: a cold frame, give a good watering to settle the 
soil round the roots, and keep- them close for a few days and 
shaded. Afterwards plenty of air must be given them on, all 
favourable occasions. I believe in.bringing them up a® hardy 
as it Is possible,, as they do, nlot like coddling. 
This also applies to all summer-flowering pot Carnation®. 
I think if the above: isi attended to at once that success is in 
everyone's reach where practicable. W. C. H. 
The Boskoop Giant Black Currant.— The above variety of 
Black Currant is notable for the size of its fruits, and from 
Cornwall comes a report that it is not subject to be infested by 
the Black Currant mite. The ravages of the latter creature have 
been so severe in the Midlands that Bilberries have been largely 
imported from the Continent to take its place. If the shortage 
in the production of Black Currants is not remedied in the near 
future, they must go up, in price, and that will greatly limit the 
sale. The -Giant Boskoop has been found profitable for market,, 
and if it continues to resist the mite it will be largely planted 
in future. The bush is vigorous, but it must always be planted 
in good, holding, and moist soil. 
