454 
THE GARDENING WORLD , 
May 28, 1904. 
Guide to the Isle of Wight. —Mr. George Clinch, whose 
Guide toi Kent was 'well received a short time back, has now 
written a little book dealing with the Isle of Wight, that island 
which “ of all the southern isles holds the highest place,” as 
Drayton writes. In this volume an attempt has been made to 
embody some of the more interesting facts about an island of 
peculiar natural beauty and charm, and not without historical 
associations of considerable importance. The book is one of the 
Little Guides series, and contains 16 illustrations by Mr. F. D. 
Bedford, together with several plans and a good map. 
* * * 
The Fountains in Kensington Gardens. “ D.” writes to 
“ The Times,” under the date. May 10th.:—“ It is now more than 
12 months since the fountains have played in tihiei ornamental 
basins at the Bayawaber end of the Long Water in Kensington 
Gardens, while a gang OiLmen have employed their time in and 
about the engine-house. Slay I use yonr columns to ask the 
authorities how much longer they will allow this, job' to last? 
There does not appear to be any supervision, and I fear we shall 
again go without the fountains thist summer if the men continue 
to find employment there. The water 1 in the basins last summer 
was -at times far from sweet. What it will be like this summer, 
if we ever get any warm weather, I cannot say. It is a matter 
of public health, therefore, as well as of economy.” 
* * * 
The Botanical Gardens at Rhyl. —Among the many attrac¬ 
tions of Rhyl alb this season the Botanical Gardens on Grange 
Road take a very high place. The delights of the country may 
he enjoyed there without a long absence from town. Should 
the wind be high outside, the many hedges and 'trees effectually 
screen the loiterers in the gardens. Sheltered from the dust 
and warmed by the rays of sunshine, visitors can imagine them- 
S€ 1 T€S far from the busy town. Just now the fruit trees arie a mass 
of delicate pink blossom, the air is filled with the music of the 
feathered “songsters of the grove,” and all vegetation bears 
its dainty robe of spring. On the 13th a large party of chil¬ 
dren were spending a happy time on the lawns, and thoroughly 
appreciating the delights of “ tea in the open. The value 
of time spent there in the 'freish air, amid all the beauties of 
nature, cannot be over-estimated. Accompanying them, ini 
addition to parents, was “ grandpa,” whose lustrous eyes and 
smiling clean boyish face gave scant indication of the eighty- 
and more winters which have gone over the head of this un¬ 
assuming grand old man of the Vale of Clwyd. 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 
The Editor invites enquiries for reply in this column. These 
enquiries may cover any branch of gardening. Questions should be 
put as briefly as possible, and written on one side of the paper only ; 
a separate sheet of paper should be used for each question. 
Readers are also invited to give their fellow gardeners the benefit 
of their experience by sending supplementary replies. 
Replies cannot be sent by post, even if a stamped, 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. 
Dark-Coloured Primula obconica. 
I should he obliged if you can inform me if it is usual to get 
such a rich colour in Primula obconica. This I have selected, from 
year to year, and grown from division every spring. They are 
much admired by all who see them. (J. R. W.) 
The trusses of bloom you sent are very rich in colour, though 
not the darkest which we have now seen in Primula obooniioa. 
We have seen a variety with flowers -so dark that they can be 
properly -described as rich car-mine. We should describe yours 
as rich dark purple. The general run or average- -of the species is 
very much paler , so that yours may be regarded -a,s- -a very good 
selection indeed, and worthy of perpetuation until von can get a 
better.,- Instead of propagating it by division, we should advise 
you to- save seeds from plants having the very -best colour, and 
when these oo-me into bloom sav-e the very best -of them, again. 
By repeated sowing and selection in this way you may in time 
not only increase the size- of the flowers-, but- get various rich and 
dark colours. 
Spotted Odontoglossum. 
I have enclosed a- bloom of Odontoglossum crispumi for your 
opinion. It was imported last May along with a few others. It 
lias made a small bulb, and flowered with four blooms on the 
spike. The imported bulbs are very large, so that the flower will 
get larger year after year. Would you give yonr opinion as 
regards the- markings and substance of the flower through your 
valuable paper ? (Thomas Andrew.) 
The flower you sent, was- of small size, but exceedingly pretty. 
All parts of the flower are well formed, and, provided the propor¬ 
tions are maintained and the segments are well overlapped, as 
the- plant increases in strength we believe it will turn out to be 
a very goo-d thing. It was to be exp-e-eted that the flowers would 
be small when flowering for the first time, as they usually go 
back in size, including the piseudo-bulb-s, but if you manage the 
latter properly they will increase in size, and so will the flowers. 
The spots were of small size, but exceedingly numerous, covering 
all parts o-f the flower, and they were of a dark brownish crimson. 
We should ve-ry much like to see this flower when the plant has got 
e-sta-bli.shed. 
Flower of Dendrobium. 
Will you please say whether the Dendrobium I send you is rare 
or not? (Harry Siieard.) 
The flower you sent us differed from the ordinary by having a 
rich orange blotch in the throat. Some people would call this 
Dendrobium ja-mesianum, but the latter is the scarcer plant, and 
differs in structure. As far as rarity is concerned amongst varie¬ 
ties of these two, yours may be regarded as holding -an inter¬ 
mediate position, -being a very good variety of D. infundibulum. 
Propagating Polyanthus. 
I have several very fine varieties of Polyanthus, including 
white- and yellow, which I wish to- propagate. What is -the best 
method -of doing this, as I want to- preserve the varieties? 
(H. W.l 
The first thing you should do is to lift the plants entirely now 
that they are out o-f bloom, and -carefully b-reak them up into as 
many pieces a-s there a-re crowns. An old knife that has a sharp 
blade would be very serviceable for this operation, as it would 
enable you to separate the crowns without destroying too- many 
of the leaves o-r the roots. Previous to this you should prepare 
-a pie-c-e of ground for them on the north side of a. wall or in some 
part -of the garden where they will be moist -and shaded during 
the greater part o-f the day, but particularly iu the afternoon. 
This- piece of ground should be well manured, and leaf mould 
would a-lsoi be- serviceable if farmyard -manure is -scarce. After 
having dug and levelled the ground, you may plant the crowns a 
foot a-pa-rt each way, or a little less if ground is- scarce. Water 
them well, and repeat t-his at intervals until the plants get estab¬ 
lished, if t-hei weather proves dry. While propagating your plants 
in this wa-y it would also- b-e advisable to raise young plants from 
seeds o-f -the very best varieties, and if -a plant or t-wo< of the very 
be-s-t colours have set plenty of -seeds it- would b-e- worth your while 
to mark those plants and leave them undisturbed for the purpose 
of seed saving. You can frequently improve upon your strain by 
this means, and you can nearly always rely upon seedlings being 
more robust- than divisions of the old plant. 
i v 
Lapagerias and Slugs. 
I would be much obliged for some hint to stay the ravages of 
slugs or some other enemy which seems determined to eat through 
t-lie you-ng shoots' of Lapagerias close to the ground. (0. Mill- 
ward.) 
You should search the soil a-ro-und -the- base of the- plants, 
,-scra.ping it -away from the stems for the purpose of seeing whether 
any of the nfara-uders are- hidden there. Some- time after dis¬ 
turbing the soil you might have another look, as the disturbance 
often causes -the- slugs to come- out. Having taken these pre¬ 
liminary measures, you should then wind some- cotton wool round 
the young shoots, not too t ightly, but close to- the ground, and for 
6in. o-r Sin. up, leaving the wool until th-ese shoots- have hardened. 
Some people have -also resented to- the u-se o-f-‘panes of glass- or 
slate-s, making boxes, as it were, round the base of the stems to 
keep the slugs away, hut the cotton wool will b-e' more effective, 
and prevent them from crawling to the higher and unprotected 
parts of the shoots. 
Vines with Aerial Roots, 
One of our Vines has produced a large number of roots up the 
stem. Can you tell me what is the cause of it, and if they should 
he cut off? (Vitis.) 
The roots on the stem of the Vine may have been caused or 
induced to grow by a too -close and moist atmosphere. There 
are other causes, however, which sometimes, produce the same 
result. If the border is* in any way wet or waterlogged, then 
this would prevent the proper roots from performing their func¬ 
tions properly, and the Vine in its endeavour to get the neces¬ 
sary supply of moisture throws out roots above the surface of 
