506 
THE HARDENING WORLD . 
June 18, 1904. 
The Staking of Herbaceous Plants. 
Various are the ways adopted to stake these plants so. a-s 
to make them showy and pleasing to the eye. It is a 
question that is often asked by many readers, how can they 
stake them without drawing them together and do away with 
the stiff look they have? 
The following method may be useful to those whoi would 
like to see Asters', Phloxes and plants of a like nature grown 
in a more natural state. Instead of staking them with canes or 
wooden stakes, get some nice “ Spruce branches,” and use them, 
in place of stakes; three or four, so that they will meet round 
the plant without being too tight. Them tie top and bottom 
with oakum to keep them together (put branches about 1 in. 
or 2 in. in the inside of Asters, etc., so as to allow some shoots 
to cover the outside), and with a little care train up the shoots 
to get them to go equally all over the branches', and you will 
be surprised to see how beautiful they look when in flower. 
Some will be inclined to think 'these Spruce stakes will look 
bare and unsightly; but only for a few weeks, then they will 
show off these plants to their full advantage, which will not look 
drawn together in a bunch, as when tied to stakes. 
This method is also a great saving of time in a garden, where 
there is a lot to do, and is much cheaper than staking. 
The same applies to beds of Poppies, Nigella, and annuals 
of the same habit, only using smaller branches and putting 
round the outside of the bed, also some zig-zag through the 
bed to keep them up during a high wind or heavy rains. 
Aster. 
Begonia President Carnot. 
This beautiful flower is adapted to invite favour at any time 
if grown even moderately well. Such phraseology, however, is 
not befitting when the plant is well cultivated. I consider it 
is them majestic. 
On entering a house in which one of these is situated, not 
only does it attract the eye at the first glance, but will stand 
examination minutely without causing disfavour. 
It will grow fairly well in the intermediate house, but the 
stove temperature is best suited to its requirements. If 
subjected to cold or draughts the foliage becomes quite yellow, 
and the leaves drop off one by one. It is absolutely necessary 
to shade from strong sunshine. Here we have one magnificent 
specimen growing in a 9-in. pot in the Palm stove. The house 
is intensely shaded, andjostead of thus injuring the plant in 
any way, it appears to give the foliage a dark green., healthy 
appearance, and the flowers a delicacy otherwise unknown to 
them. Our method of striking cuttings is simple. We insert 
these in the shell gravel, with which the stages in the stove are 
covered, and in a matter of twelve days they are emitting freely 
strong, healthy roots. 
The same potting compost as for Fuchsias and Coleuses is 
suitable'; but by having, in addition., a fair quantity of ground 
bones, the plants continue to produce enormous, coral-red 
flowers after the period at which they would otherwise require 
to have been shifted on. Large plants may be grown in tubs 
and trained on stakes., wire® or pillars. Potting firm is essen¬ 
tial to free and lengthened time of flowering. 
Top-dressing occasionally is advantageous, adding to the' 
same a little dry soot. It is remarkable the difference brought 
about by numerous feedings with weak liquid soot and sheep 
manures. Careful watering is imperative. Drought causes 
the tissues toward the margin, of the leaves to. become brown., 
dry up., and latterly the foliage itself to drop off. Most people 
know the results of overwatering in any circumstance. 
Begonia President Carnot in its splendour surpasses most 
other flowers in artificial light. It can be used with great effect 
on the dinner-table, but will only keep resplendent for an hour 
or two in a hot room. 
This very Auriferous plant cannot be denied the first rank 
among all evergreen Begonias. It is a, hybrid between B. 
coceinea and B. olbia. 
To M. Crozy, of Lyons, is due Che honour of having raised! 
it in 1890. It is another indication of what Frenchmen, are 
doing in the furthering of horticulture. J. P. Dickson. 
Chrysanthemums for the Garden. ? 
For producing a long and charming display of flowers in the 
autumn there are no. plants that can compare with Chrysan¬ 
themums. The Dahlia may provide us with blooms possessing 
brighter colours, but for quantity and continuity there are no 
flowers in the garden between September and November that 
can approach the autumn queen, and it is largely owing to 
the fact that the Chrysanthemum is a plant which will grow 
almost as well in a garden near to a town as in the more 
open situation in the country that, has made, it so popular with 
all classes; indeed, it is not too much to say of it that it 
gives a remarkably good account of itself when growing in a 
closed-in town garden; moreover, its hardiness is such as to 
make it a general favourite. Bearing in mind these qualities, 
it is not surprising, therefore, to find every year very rnany 
who bed out yo,ung plants, and as we have arrived at the 
season when the work should be undertaken, I have ventured 
to make a few observations as to the methods to. adopt and 
the varieties to grow to bring about an attractive show. For 
many years I have planted out a. number on a border under 
a south wall, and by selecting some of the earliest and mid- 
season varieties, I have been able to have a display of flowers 
from the end of August until well on into November. Plants 
for this purpose are struck from cuttings in March in the green¬ 
house, potted on separately, and after a time are transferred 
to a cold frame, being subsequently planted out in the borders 
in June. If they do not break naturally, they are pinched 
back once or twice in a season, each plant being .staked at the 
time of putting it out, and encouraged as blooming time 
approaches by weak applications of liquid manure. Treated 
in this way, 1 have never experienced a fail me, and am never 
without plenty of blossoms for cutting in the autumn. As 
quantity rather than quality of blossoms is sought, disbudding 
is. but little practised. A few are grown in pots, which are 
plunged in the soil in order to minimise the trouble of water¬ 
ing, and these are lifted for indoor decoration, but with careful 
handling, Chrysanthemums are some of the best, of not the 
very best plants, for digging up- and potting, almost to within 
a few days of the tune of the flowering period. Potted beforer 
hand, however, one does not run the risk of the plants losing 
their lower leaves, a point worth watching when they are 
wanted for the greenhouse.^ They are simple to grow, always 
bloom freely, and are so. useful for cutting that it is not 
easy to understand why some do not grow them in the garden. 
I know a man who makes good use of his old plants by making 
them do duty as front-row plants on a shrubbery border, and 
from them he is able to cut many baskets of useful blooms so 
long as the weather continues open. Here are some large 
flowering sorts that, should be in every collection, and, as far 
a.s possible, I have placed them in the order of flowering : — 
Haivest Home, red, tipped with gold ; Gustave Grunnenvald, 
light pink; Madame M. Masse, lilac-mauve; Sam Barlow, 
salmon-pink ; Parisiana, pure white; A. FI euro t, rosy-lilac; 
Ambrose Thomas, chestnut-red, golden reverse; Benj. Gunau- 
deau, purple amaranth ; Claret Belle, claret-crimson ; Bouquet 
Feu, terra-cotta; Ernest Mathieu, salmon-cerise; Horace 
Martin., yellow; Dorothy Humphrey, amaranth ; Grace Attick, 
white, spidery; Harold Oliver, pink; Madeline Dunn, rose; 
Mrs. Lonsdale, old gold; Madame Aug Nonin, silvery-pink; 
and Emperor de Russia, deep coppery-red. 
Pompons.—Anastasia, purple ; Flora, golden-yellow ; Blush¬ 
ing Bride, rosy-lilac; Jaeintha, lilac-pink; Mrs. Stacey, 
apricot; La Yierge, white; Rose Wells, deep pink; Little 
Dot, small dark-red flowers; Madame E. Lefort, orange-amber. 
In conclusion, I have only to. add that if they are once, given 
a fair trial, they will prove useful at a time of the year when 
other garden flowers are none too plentiful, and it. is on this 
account and thedr modest requirements that many who are 
becoming wearied somewhat in growing plants for show are 
now giving special attention to these early flowering Chrysan¬ 
themums. , W. F. 
